Zelda: Winds of a New Darkness
by Alaia Skyhawk
Summary: Sequel to Winds of a New Beginning: Summary can be read at top of first chapter, or watched in the intro movie, the link to which can be found at the top of my profile. Sucky summary, I know, but unlike the real summary this fits in this box.
1. A Journey Begins in the Mist

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hello all, and welcome to the sequel to 'Zelda: Winds of a New Beginning'. If you have not read that fic then I recommend that you do so before reading this, as otherwise the 'Hyrule' depicted in this fic will make little sense and be very confusing, as will be several of the major plot points and locations. That said, if you **_**have**_** read it then you are likely itching to get stuck into this one, and so here it is. Zelda: Winds of a New Darkness.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**(Added: 24th June 2011. I've begun finishing this fic now, and apologise if my scene spaces have dissapeared. Some of FFnet's updates since I began this removed them, and I will get around to checking and fixing any missing ones eventually)**

'-'-'-'-''-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-' (indicates a flashback)

Summary: (See the Intro Movie on Youtube, it's done in the same style as the opening of Windwaker. The link is at the top of my profile, and watching the movie is far better than reading the same info from just below this line. XD)

It has been almost five hundred years since the awakening of the Sage of Courage and the re-forging of the Master Sword, and during that time the Kingdom of Hyrule has flourished upon the Great Sea. The waters now rich with life, fish plentiful in this new age where no longer does the Hyrule of old sleep below, life moves on in peace as the Nine Sages watch over it all. But now something is stirring, a shadow from a distant land creeping into the waters of the Great Sea, while suddenly the Sage of Courage, who like the other sages had walked openly among the people since his awakening, vanishes into seclusion, all means of entry into his temple sealed. He leaves but one message for the world, etched in light upon the closed door of his Temple...

"_Long did I fight for the world, long have I watched over it, and long have I protected the people who live upon it... but now is not my time, but rather the time of another... I am not the one who must face the coming darkness, nor are any of my descendants, instead it must be one who must discover the courage they hold within... Only when they have found it will this door open, so that they may face my trial and earn not just the right to wield the Master Sword, but also the Golden Power that I keep..."_

And so the people can do naught but hope... Hope that the one whom the Sage of Courage speaks of will find it in themselves to take that first step... against the growing darkness...

Chapter 1: A Journey Begins in the Mist

"Hey, Arkai! Get your butt over here!"

The cry of the seagulls soaring on the sea breeze overhead filled the air, a shrill counterpoint to the hubbub of the busy seaport. Everywhere you looked people bustled back and forth, and one individual was especially in a hurry. After all, if he wasn't quick then he was going to be late. The young man in question glanced at the great clock whose four faces looked out to the four main compass points, high in its tower at the centre of the town. He was cutting it fine, but the look of relief in his hazel eyes revealed that he was going to make it. It was just as well really, since this was the first time since his sixteenth birthday that the opportunity to join the crew of such a prestigious ship had arisen. Competition was going to be fierce, and arriving after the chiming of the hour was a sure fire way to immediately get thrown out of the running.

With the briefest flash of a grin he skidded into place at the end of the mass of prospective sailors, directing it to the man who had called out just a moment before. A man with hair the same brown tinged blond as his own.

"Hoy, Jaran. Yara collared me trying to make me man her stall again. The whole family keeps telling her to hire an assistant, but she's such a cheapskate that she just keeps dragging in one relative or another to look after it when she can't be bothered to work. One of these days one of us is going to say yes only to leave the thing open and unmanned. Maybe losing her stock to those with light fingers will make her loosen the death grip she has on her purse strings."

Jaran shook his head before tilting it to indicate the mass of waiting men and women.

"She's a pain alright, and you're not the only one in your family who looks like they're trying to escape, Arkai. Two of your brothers are here, as well as five cousins and an uncle."

Arkai winced after an enquiring search of the crowd revealed that his friend was right. Not only was the competition going to be fierce, it was going to be a proverbial war zone. Bringing a hand to his face he looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him without a trace.

"Great, just great. I may as well drop out now. My Uncle Tilgar has been a sailor for almost twenty years, and his son Galen for nearly eight. Both only left their previous ship because the captain turned out to be swindling the crew on wages and got fired by the merchant company that was hiring him. They've got flawless records along with all that experience; the rest of us won't stand a chance."

His friend frowned before folding his arms and directing a determined look at the nearby ship against its backdrop of sea fog, the ship which the lucky sailor picked would be departing on.

"Well I'm not about to give up yet; for all we know they might be looking for a newbie. Someone to train up the way they want them as a long term addition to the crew. That's a chance in a lifetime for you or me, the sort of start that gets you a place on a ship for your whole career, maybe even rising to become ship's captain one day." He planted a thumb in the middle of his chest. "I'm staying put. No way am I gonna let your relatives make me feel like this is pointless. You don't win if you don't try, after all."

The cheerful smile on his face quickly got Arkai smiling as well, the two of them looking at the ship that may well take them into a life as one of the Great Sea's best sailors, a dream both of them had had for as long as they could remember. Standing there with the other candidates, they watched with anticipation as with the striking of the clock's chimes three men descended to the pier from the moored vessel. Hope filled them as they listened for what they would have to do, guessing it would likely be some kind of test of skills, but that hope was crushed as surely as if those men had dropped a mountain on them as the centremost of them spoke.

"All those will less than three year's experience can leave. I need someone who can be trusted to know what to do already, and not have to be trained or supervised. Sorry to those of you without that. All I can do is wish you luck for finding a berth on a ship in future."

Jaran stared aghast at the man who had spoken, while all but Arkai's uncle and cousin walked away with expressions of dejection. Arkai himself was glancing enviously at the pair, knowing that it was highly likely that _both_ would be hired. Their reputation as a team would mean that the captain would be mad to pass up an opportunity to hire them together... It just hurt that, for all he'd known he wouldn't stand much of a chance compared to them, he hadn't even gotten a chance to show his worth to the captain.

Taking his friend by the arm, he began to lead him away.

"Come on, let's go. I'm sure we can find some sort of job around here to last until the next chance comes. It's not like Nae Lanai is a quiet little place with few people hiring. We can probably get jobs within the next hour if we look in the right places."

Jaran sighed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind a pointed ear.

"You're right... But promise me that we're going _nowhere_ near your cousin Yara's stall."

Arkai laughed as he looked up at the rising sun.

"No way! She drives me mad enough when I'm just a 'volunteer'! I'd be a complete nervous wreck in less than a week if she was my boss!"

They were both laughing now, so much so that it took several seconds for them to notice the sudden fearful hush as the people around them began to fall silent. Stopping and turning the two of them quickly saw why. Part of the perfectly normal sea fog was turning a sinister black, like the heart of a storm cloud, and it was rushing towards the port at an unnatural speed. Like a veil of shadow it swept over the shore like a breaking wave swarming over and through rocks on a beach. People were beginning to scream and shout in panic, the very air seeming to press down on the town from the sheer weight of the dark aura it carried. For dark it was, sending a shudder down the spine and leaving a feeling that something truly horrible had crept up behind you while your back was turned.

As both young men ducked into an alleyway to avoid the mad rush of people fleeing the dockside, it was then that Arkai felt a strange compulsion to look again towards the now obscured sea. Peering into the heart of the dark mist, he felt his skin crawl as the knowing of something watching from that blackness filled him, urging him to look deeper until at last he saw what he somehow knew was there; three pairs of slitted golden irises set into eyes as red as blood. They glowed with evil glee as they observed the panicked people, before with the slightest of movements they looked directly at him.

He tugged his friend's sleeve, prompting the man to look up at him.

"What is it?"

Hauling Jaran to his feet, Arkai pointed.

"Eyes in the mist! Look!"

Those baleful orbs were closer now, so close that one would be blind to miss them, but for all that Arkai was pointing right at them, and Jaran looking at them... Jaran didn't see them.

"There's nothing there, just more of this dark mist. Geeze, are you trying to give me a heart attack or something? This is bad enough without you seeing things."

"But..." Arkai never got to finish the sentence, for in the next instant the strange mist vanished. He walked out into the middle of the street, as others who had likewise gone into alleys and buildings came out, Jaran stood at his shoulder. He was all set to walk towards the shore to search the fog again for the eyes when the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. It was the only warning he got to duck the fist that had just taken a swing at his head. Rolling out of the way and getting to his feet, he stared in shock at his attacker. "Jaran! What are you doing?"

His friend didn't answer, did nothing but advance towards him with a sneer of pure malice on his face. Backing away Arkai found himself reaching without thought for the sailor's knife on his belt, before drawing it and using its hilt he knocked his friend unconscious to the floor...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was with eyes filled with fear and confusion that the people assembled in the town hall, all those who had witnessed the inexplicable change in personality of those seemingly affected by the dark mist gathered here before the town's leaders, and also the mayor of Hyrule Castle Town from some five miles or so inland. There weren't that many people here, barely fifty, but then only seven people in all the thousands living and working in the town had been affected. Only seven, but it was seven too many. Those seven were now locked up in the most secure wing of Hyrule Castle Town's jail where, from the accounts of the jail guard present, they now shrieked curses and dark implications like the insane from their confinement. One by one all those present named the one of the seven that they'd seen, and of how they'd changed, until finally it was the turn of the hazel-eyed young man sat near the back of those assembled.

Arkai stood up as those before him had done, lifting his gaze to regard the two mayors at the front of the white walled chamber.

"I witnessed the change in Jaran. We were just at the mooring of the Tempest Gull, to try for the place that had become available in its crew. We'd just learned that the captain was looking for an experienced sailor, and were leaving the dockside when everything went quiet. We turned and saw the black mist come in, and ducked into an alley to get out of the way of those running away from the shore. We'd just got there when I felt like something was watching, and when I looked towards the sea I saw three pairs of fiery, slit-pupiled eyes in the mist. When I pointed them out to Jaran he didn't seem to see them, even when they came so close that whatever it was must have been just beyond the end of the pier. Right after that the mist vanished and Jaran suddenly attacked me. After that I knocked him out with the hilt of my sailor's knife."

All eyes were on him, including those of a number of people who had also witnessed the change in Jaran... people who had said nothing in their accounts about eyes in the mist. At the front of the room Nae Lanai's mayor regarded him, eventually speaking after an almost endless seeming pause.

"You claim to have seen eyes in the mist, yet from the accounts of others who were on that street you were seen looking up at the sun just before the mist came in. Plunge someone who has had the sun in their eyes into the shadows and they will see yellow-red spots before their eyes quite clearly, and as since none of the other witnesses for Jaran spoke of eyes I think we can say that you were seeing things." Arkai stared at him and moved to speak only to be silenced by a wave of a hand. "Before you object to my assessment of your statement, do you acknowledge that you looked up at the rising sun just before the mist came in? And do you acknowledge that it was just a few seconds after that, that you ducked into the alley and looked out and saw the eyes?"

Arkai stared at him, a sinking feeling in his gut, before he nodded with a sense of finality... Unable to change the conclusion to which he knew these people were going to come.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

What was he doing here? Was he crazy? Or had that mist made him lose his mind like Jaran had?

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_"So you said you saw eyes? After walking into the glare of the sun? How stupid are you?"_

_With hazel eyes he glanced up to glare at the ebon haired woman standing over him, taking in the smirk on her face._

_"Go away, Yara. Shouldn't you be working on your stupid stall or something?"_

_She continued to smirk as she leaned a hand on the table in the spacious kitchen, the light of the sun coming in through the open back door of the house behind her to spill across the grey flagstones._

_"Is that any way to talk to your cousin? I came to offer you a job working on my 'stupid stall', as you put it."_

_Getting to his feet, anger at what had happened to his friend coming to a boil, he slapped her._

_"You can keep your stupid job! I have more important things to do!"_

_Holding a hand to her quickly reddening cheek, she stared at him with hatred._

_"Like what?"_

_He strode out of the kitchen, heading for the stairs to his room._

_"To tell the queen about the eyes in the mist... You might all think I was seeing things, but I know what I saw! It may be important, and I'm not about to leave the queen unknowing about something that might mean the difference between people like Jaran being cured or them staying the way they are! I'm not about to sit back and do nothing, when something I know might be able to help my friend!"_

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Shivering, Arkai pulled the collar of his coat tighter around his neck, wishing that he'd thought to pick up a scarf against the bitter wind. It was barely into spring, with some of the deeper valleys in the area still covered with a layer of snow. Here he was, on the road heading west from Hyrule Castle Town, making his way on foot to a city that with the right wind could be reached in a day by ship... At this rate he'd be lucky to make it there in two weeks.

He pulled the collar in tighter, muttering.

"I'm doing this to save Jaran, and the others in Nae Lanai who have been changed. I can't back down, and no pompous sea captains refusing to take me are going to stop me."

With no further hesitation he strode along the road, on this journey that began the moment he saw the eyes in the mist...

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**Alaia Skyhawk: And there you have it, the opening chapter of Winds of a New Darkness. Happy reading :D**


	2. Set off on the Wrong or Right Foot

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Sighs happily) Ah, a brand new fic to sink my teeth into writing. I made an error with the travel times in the previous chapter, with having pre-written it a few months ago. The travel by ship with the 'right wind' between Nae Lanai and Hyrule City is 1 day, and the 'month' Arkai was thinking is actually two weeks. I've corrected the chapter, but I've put it here as well so I don't confuse anyone with times that contradict the old ones.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 2: Set off on the Wrong or Right Foot

-

The wind whistled past him, whipping against his torso as though trying to push him over the side of the great bridge he was crossing. The Inner South Passage Bridge was one of two which spanned the expanse of water that connected the Inner Sea with the Great Sea that surrounded the mainland. Built just like every other Passage Bridge, its wide floor and towering arches of white stone were a testament to the artistic flare for bridge building that its creator, the famous First Light Keeper Komali, the man whom five hundred years ago had become the first person of a pure heart and intention to become Keeper of the Triforce of Power. The Triforce piece itself had been passed down by him after that, always held by the Chieftain of the Rito Tribe, a tribe whose people were protected from the corrupting influence of power by the Guardian Spirit of the Sky. Another Triforce piece passed down through a bloodline was that of Wisdom, still held to this day by the queens of Hyrule. Only one piece was still with its Keeper from those days when the Sealed Ones, the people who had slept for a thousand years beneath the waters of the Great Sea, had been brought to the surface by the gods along with new lands for them to live on. The Triforce of Courage still remained with its Keeper, the once Hero of Winds and now Sage of Courage, Link.

Arkai pulled his coat tighter around him, attempting to stop the wind creeping in around the collar. He like all the people had been worried when word had come that the Sage of Courage, who had for the last five centuries walked openly among the people as teacher and advisor like his fellow sages, had sealed not just the surface entrance to his temple but the magical ones within the temples of earth and wind. That had happened just after Arkai's tenth birthday; six years ago give or take a few weeks. The message Link had left for the world had implied that evil was coming to attack Hyrule, and for a while the people had remained guarded and ready... But six years of no sign of such had made the population become complacent again, and yet now Arkai himself had witnessed something he was sure was the evil the Sage of Courage had warned would be coming.

He lifted his head, his expression focused and determined as he lengthened his stride, the end of the bridge and the town that stood there now less than half a mile away. It had been a long walk across the bridge, a full sea league spent in the full brunt of the icy sea winds. Huddled as he was against that wind it had taken him almost four hours to get this far, but the end of it was within sight, bringing with it the promise that he was well on his way to delivering his message. Nothing was going to slow him down or stop him.

He stopped... His expression melting from determination to bemusement as he then looked down at his right foot and lifted it with disgust. He'd taken his eyes off where he was putting his feet for two minutes, and had stepped right in a pile of fresh horse manure.

He grimaced.

"Eww, damn it." He shook his foot, trying to get some of the filth off his boot. He gave up and just stood there. "Why me?"

With a sigh he set off again, the upbeat mood from a few moments before having been buried beneath the stinking truth of reality. He was just a sixteen year old wannabe sailor, whose longest trip before now had been day trips to Hyrule Castle town. He had to admit it; he was way in over his head. It was about twenty minutes later that he reached the town, and about to get yet another kick in the shins from good old reality.

Inner South Gate was one of a set of similarly named towns, which each stood at one end of the bridges over the Passages. They were way stations for travellers, not so much towns as large villages, each having an inn, stables, and shops to buy travelling supplies. It was after he'd walked down the stone paved main street and entered the inn that the kick struck home.

"A room for the night, with dinner and breakfast? That will be one hundred rupees."

Arkai gaped at the innkeeper, as the woman regarded him with a bland expression.

"One hundred?! Back in Nae Lanai the same only costs thirty, and that's in the best of the inns!"

The woman put her hands on her hips.

"This isn't Nae Lanai. Nae Lanai is a port town, with people and sailors constantly in residence as ships arrive, change cargoes, and then leave. This is a wayfarer's town, where travellers never stay more than a single night. With fewer customers coming less often, naturally I have to charge more to cover the cost of running this place and leave me enough after to support my family. The stables down the road are lucky, since they have the income that comes from maintaining a number of horses for the Crown to use if needed; and the shops always get travellers buying supplies in bulk so their income is good as well. As for me, I just don't have that luxury."

Arkai stared at her for a moment more, before the need to sleep somewhere warm had him pulling out his purse and beginning to count out rupees onto the table beside the innkeeper. A red, eleven blue, and twenty-five green rupees later, his purse was uncomfortably light. He eyed the woman warily.

"Can I assume that the bathing and laundry rooms are free to use like in Nae Lanai?"

She swept the collection of small crystals into her apron before giving him a reproving glare.

"Of course they are! This inn follows established Hyrulian Trade Standards. Humph!"

She stalked off leaving a wincing Arkai hoping that maintaining said standards would prevent her from giving into the temptation to do something to the meals he'd just bought. That hope was made all the more earnest when with a stormy expression she returned to hand him a key and point out the hallway that led to the wash rooms; dragging out a mop and bucket to wash the floor where his right foot had left an aromatic outline on the wooden surface. Tactfully he removed his boots before going any further. As silly as he might look hurrying across the inn's common room in his socks, it was better than annoying the innkeeper any further.

Meanwhile, watching him from a table in the corner as he vanished, bag in hand, down the hallway, the red and blond haired women sat there hid smiles before, glancing at her neighbour, the blond one commented.

"The look on his face when he first came in... He looks like he has something to do that he feels is important, but by the look of his purse after he paid Hana he might find it a bit hard to get to his destination."

The red head looked back at the hallway, her gaze pausing briefly on the annoyed innkeeper. She looked sidelong at her friend.

"I'll approach him in the morning. If he's heading for Hyrule City then I'll offer him a job on the convoy in exchange for a ride and a small wage."

The blond one raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Then he'd best be lucky and be heading that way, because by the looks of him he _needs_ it."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Idly stirring his porridge with his spoon, Arkai counted the handful of crystal pieces he'd just tipped out onto the table beside his bowl. Seven blue and twelve green...He had just forty-seven rupees left. He groaned.

"What am I supposed to do with just forty-seven rupees? I thought I had enough to get to Hyrule City and then back to Nae Lanai, but if things continue like this I'll be lucky if I can buy enough food to get me back, never mind spend the night at an inn in the city."

A pair of hands was set flat on the table before him, their owner leaning down to look at him with blue eyes beneath neatly tied back red hair. The woman smiled at him.

"Then maybe I can help with that. My convoy is on its way to Hyrule City and there's room for an extra wagon hand. If you're willing to work I'll give you a ride to the city and pay at the end of it. If you're heading back in this direction after that you can even ride back with us. We're going to be in the city for a couple of days so you'll have plenty of time to decide."

The young man blinked at her in surprise.

"You'll give me a ride, and pay for helping with your wagons, all the way to Hyrule City?"

Her smile widened.

"I guess it must just be your lucky day. My name's Alana, and I'm from Lon Lon Ranch. We've just come from exchanging some of our cargo at South Port and are heading to our final stop at Hyrule City. One of our wagon hands left us there to join up with his family's haulage business, so we could use your help. So what do you think? Interested?"

The final question was accompanied by the tilt of her head, her cheerful expression banishing any doubts he might have had.

Arkai smiled back.

"Sure, I'll take you up on that."

She stood up straight again.

"That's great. Now we're at the stable just down the road and will be leaving in an hour. If you're not there on time then we'll leave without you, got it?"

She turned and left the inn, Arkai watching her go before sweeping his money back into his purse and bolting down the last of his porridge. That done he scrambled up to his room to repack his bag; everything he'd washed the previous night having being draped to dry over every available surface in the chamber...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The street outside the stables was a mass of people, the sheer number of wagons waiting there causing the young man to pause in uncertainty. There were about twenty of them, none of them small, and each having two fine Hyrulian Draft Horses hitched to them. He was no expert on land methods of trade, but even he could tell that the wagons and horses alone must be worth a fortune never mind what was in them. Everything was pristine, wool kept clean and oiled to a shine; tack spotless and buckles and fastenings bright. Even the animals themselves were impeccably kept, coats agleam in the spring sunlight.

As he stood there staring in awe the red head he'd spoken to an hour before spotted him and walked over, and reaching him she took him by the arm and led him towards one of the wagons.

"There you are. You cut that close. We were just about to leave." She stopped beside the wagon, pushing him up to sit beside the man on the driver's seat. "Shove your bag inside for now. Darren will show you the ropes for looking after the wagon and horses when we stop for a rest at midday. It'll only take us a couple of days to reach the city, but the work is fairly simple so you'll pick it up quickly." She turned and looked down the line of wagons. "EVERYONE, FORM UP!" Immediately the assembled people clambered onto carts or mounted one of the Malonian Runners that it seemed were being used to guard the convoy from bandits. At least that was what Arkai assumed considering the powerful re-curve bows that the riders were carrying. Alana shouted again. "MOVE OUT!"

She ran ahead of the convoy on foot as Arkai, who was sat on the lead wagon, watched in confusion. Was she intending to run the entire way to the city? He continued to watch in confusion while Darren smothered a knowing smile beside him, his expression turning to one of wonder at what came into sight at the edge of the town.

Two horses with glorious red coats stood waiting there; the sunlight emphasising their black noses and the luxuriant manes of white that darkened to deepest soot at the base just like the white 'socks' that blended to black and then red on their legs. One of them had a blond haired woman sat astride it, hair tied back as Alana's was, and she offered the reins of the second horse to the red head who quickly mounted.

The two riders waited there, falling into line either side of the lead wagon as Arkai began to splutter.

"Eponasians?!" He looked at Alana. "You're descended from Malon?" He then frowned and turned his head to look at the blond woman on the other side. "But what about you? You don't look like you're related."

The blond woman laughed.

"I'm a descendant of the Courage Line, the only other bloodline that Eponasians will permit to handle them. My name is Taleen'ya, though you'll have to call me Taleen. While my clan has homes in Hyrule City and on Outset Island, most of us live at Lon Lon Ranch to be close to the Eponasians."

Alana let out a reprimand that was tinged with laughter.

"Taleen! Stop teasing him!"

By this point Arkai was feeling _very_ small...

_I've just been helped by a descendant of the legendary horse breeder Malon, and by a descendant of a god and several heroes... If either of them were doing what I'm trying to do they would have remembered to take a scarf, and enough money, and would probably be in the city by now... Why am I such a loser?_

As he continued to sit there feeling like an idiot, the two women continued to laugh and chatter as the wagon convoy trundled north towards Hyrule City, the home of the kingdom's queen.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: lol, poor Arkai. He's really getting the short end of the stick.**


	3. A 'Minor' Setback

**Alaia Skyhawk: I'm afraid I'm not going to be going easy on poor Arkai for a while yet. XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 3: A 'Minor' Setback

-

"Well I'm off to see my uncle. I'll see you back here in two days, Alana."

Leaving the red head and the young man standing at the stable entrance, Taleen walked away down the bustling stone paved road that cut through the rings of streets that formed the city. The two days it had taken to get to Hyrule City had been uneventful, Arkai picking up quickly, as promised he would, the basics of looking after a wagon. Darren, who he'd ridden with for the entire trip, firmly refusing to let a novice close to the tack, harness, and horses. The arrangement had worked for the sort time it lasted, and the youth had picked up some useful skills that he could probably use to get a job better than crate hauling once he returned to Nae Lanai.

Watching the woman go, Arkai thought aloud.

"I wonder what her uncle does as a job, since she works at Lon Lon Ranch."

Alana slapped him on the back, breaking him from his thoughts as she regarded him with amusement.

"He's the Queen's Champion. She'll be heading to her clan's house, one hundred and fifty-four Lesser Gate Street. As a rule her family prefers not to live inside the castle itself, so whichever member of the family is currently the Champion lives at that address. It's just a short way from the castle walls."

He remained silent for a moment before managing to blurt out.

"She's the niece of the Queen's Champion?!"

The ranch woman frowned in puzzlement.

"You _do_ realise that the Queen's Champion is _always_ a member of the Courage Line Clan. Or didn't you know that?" Arkai's expression was all the answer she needed. She sighed. "What in the Goddesses' name do they teach kids these days?" She shook her head. "Well you know now. Anyways, the current champion is her mother's older brother. Taleen visits him when we come here each year to trade goods from the ranch... and speaking of trading I'd best be off. Here's the wage I promised for helping with the wagons. Sixty rupees per day, so that one hundred and twenty rupees."

Arkai stared as she thrust a small bag into his hand.

"But you told me last night that it would be _forty_ per day. You're paying me almost _double?_ After paying for me to stay at the inn last night as well?"

She smiled.

"And if you come back here tonight after deciding to ride back with us I'll pay for your room then as well...Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Arkai. My family is wealthy and you need the money if I'm to be sure you get back home alright if you don't travel with us. Twenty rupees will get you a room and food at the Dancing Gull down near the docks, and seventy-five of the hundred will cover a stay in the inn at Inner South Gate if you head back that way on your own... A tip, don't buy dinner from Hana, just breakfast; you can nearly as good from the owner of the stables if you give him a bottle of whisky. You can buy that here in the market for five rupees, which is big saving on the twenty-five that _she_ charges." She winked, turning and heading back into the stables. "Just don't tell her I told you that. Good luck with your errand!"

She disappeared into the stables, leaving Arkai standing there with his bag and the money she'd just paid him. Shaking himself to clear his head, he set off down the road in the same direction Taleen had taken. Hyrule City was massive compared to his hometown, and even compared to Castle Town which had been the capital before this city was built. Here in the outer rings of the city the buildings were the typical slightly uneven look of the Castle Town, but once he passed further in they took on precise lines, showing him that he'd reached the part of the city that had been created using the Triforce of Power.

He sidled around a wagon, the crowds getting thicker the deeper into the city he walked. If he'd never been to Castle Town during his sixteen years, then encountering the sheer density of people here would have been a major culture shock for him. As it was even with that experience the press of people was close to leaving him breathless, and it was with much relief that he slipped into a back street just shy of the market; skirting that central square until he came out onto the wide road the opposite side which, given the visible towers of the castle at its end, was obviously the Royal Procession.

He made his way down it, the street much clearer that the one the other side of the market but still with its fair share of people bustling to and fro. The closer he got to the castle walls the clearer it became, until just fifty yards from the massive gates it was devoid of people all together but for the guards by the entrance.

Eyeing that span of empty road, which began where the Royal Procession met the ring of road that circled the entire circumference of the castle walls, Arkai gulped. It took several minutes for him to work up his nerve, before finally he walked towards the guards at the gate.

They eyed him warily, one of them speaking.

"Halt! State your business!"

The young man gulped again.

"I uh... I have an important message for the queen..."

The guard regarded him speculatively.

"I see... Do you have a courier's writ?"

Arkai could feel his stomach sinking into his boots.

"Um... no..."

The guard frowned.

"Do you have a writ of carriage from a town leader?"

"Erm... no..."

"Does this 'message' even _come_ from an authorised source?"

Arkai winced.

"Actually... I came against my hometown's mayor's orders..."

The guard scowled.

"Be on your way! We don't permit spurious messengers, who come on a whim and against proper authority, to go before Her Majesty!"

Arkai took a step forward, his expression pleading.

"But!"

The youth nearly went cross eyed at the tip of a spear was pressed to his nose. The guard narrowed his eyes.

"I'm giving you the chance to walk away, boy. If you persist in this I will have you arrested!"

Arkai backed off, beating a hasty retreat as the two guards watched him go with spears still held at the ready. Only once out of his sight did he relax, though the wave of humiliation and defeat that washed over him meant he wanted to find a hole and hide in it. Leaning against a wall down the alley he'd slipped into, he thumped his head off it.

"You are such an _idiot_, Arkai! How could you _seriously_ think you could just walk up to the gate and go in to speak to the queen?!"

He stood there, muttering to himself for several minutes more before moving off towards the dock. Meanwhile, back at the gate, one side had been opened and a blond haired man in silver and green armour had come out, accompanied by a blond haired woman who bore a resemblance to him.

He glanced at the guards.

"What was the fuss about just now?"

The guard regarded him.

"Just some boy trying to get into the castle, Sir. Said he had a 'message' for the queen, but didn't have the approval of an authorised source. We turned him away and he left without too much of a protest."

The blond man frowned, his green eyes thoughtful as the woman beside him raised an eyebrow.

"Very well, continue as normal... and let me know if that boy tries again. If he does, collar him for me and keep hold of him until I can come down."

The two guards saluted.

"Yes Sir!"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

She stood at the window, gazing out over the city from this room where the first queen of the new Hyrule had held council with her most trusted friends and advisors. This study had served as such for five hundred years, and in all that time little had changed of its appearance. A desk still stood at the end opposite the door, a table for meetings still dominated the other, and upon the desk itself were four trays. One marked 'IN', one marked 'ISLAND', one marked 'MAINLAND', and one marked 'ME'.

She turned and looked at that desk, her eyes taking note of the stack of reports sat in the lattermost of the trays. She'd read all of them, but the dire picture they'd painted had made her put them down. Such horrors visited upon her people, in such a way... She knew not what to do about it, and so for now those reports would haunt her, and mock her for her impotence in this situation.

The door into the study opened, a man in silver and green armour entering with a young woman in tow.

"Queen Zerana, I've come to ask if I might have the rest of the day off. My niece is here and I thought I might spend some time with her with your permission."

The woman at the window turned, Queen Alliane Zerana Hyrule regarding him with shadowed eyes.

"Would that I give you such, Taran, at present I cannot. The situation right now is not something I can ignore, and I need you close by should it become necessary for me to send you out."

The man, Taran, frowned.

"If this is about the Dark Mist, you know that there's nothing I can do about it. You know the message from my ancestor as well as I do. '_I am not the one who must face the coming darkness, nor are any of my descendants; instead it must be one who must discover the courage they hold within._' We've been through this conversation several times already."

Alliane looked at him with entreaty.

"But surely you can do _something_. Your family possesses great magic; surely you could help protect the towns from the mist at least!" She looked at the woman beside him. "Taleen, all I'm asking your family is that you at least _try_."

Taleen wrapped her arms around herself; not particularly happy that this visit to her uncle had ended up dragging her into this conversation.

"We've _already_ tried. Three of the clan were at Saiweve when the Dark Mist hit it. They threw up shields but the mist just went straight through them. Two of the people who were Changed that day were _inside_ those shields. Our efforts did nothing."

The queen seemed to crumple, backing up to lean on the window sill. She then gazed out at the city once more.

"My own power only works to attack if I can _see_ my target, but as yet I have not seen this new evil clearly. And without foreknowledge of where it will strike next I can't do _anything_ to protect my people."

Her eyes moved over the city, settling upon the docks close to the castle. They moved from one individual to another, the people below little more than specks from this height. One speck moved away from the rest, stopping right at the edge of the water looking out to sea. The moment her eyes fell on it, a shiver ran through her as a symbol blazed into life on the back of her right hand.

Taran saw it and took a step towards her.

"Your Majesty?"

She kept her eyes fixed on the speck, gesturing with her hand towards the door as she spoke in the midst of her trance.

"Go... Down to the docks close to the castle walls... There is someone down there... Someone with an important message for me... I will use the Royal Gossip Stone to guide you to him..."

The champion turned to his niece.

"Wait here, I'll be back as soon as I've found him."

He then rushed from the room, the queen never moving lest she lose sight of he who was so far below.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

He left through the Lesser Gate, stepping out onto the street where his home could be found. After what he'd heard from the guards at the main gate it didn't take a genius to figure out that whoever the queen was sending him to get was the same one that had tried to get in to see her. What an irony it was, that he should have to go find the one who had already tried to come to them. Ignoring Lesser Gate Street he followed the castle walls, taking short cuts through alleyways until he reached the railings that stopped pedestrians from falling twenty feet down to the dockside below. He ignored them of course, experience letting him slid down the surface of the wall itself to land without too much of a thump on the lower level. Turning left, he headed past the scattering of piers at this end and towards where the stone walkways came to a stop.

_He's a little ways from the end, standing looking out to sea..._

The queen's voice came whispering out of the green crystal he carried in a pouch around his neck. Her directions not really helping since there were a great many men at this end who fit that description. The last of the piers had a ship there about to depart, and several onlookers were watching the crew preparing it. He murmured barely loud enough to hear.

"Could you be a little more specific?"

The voice that came in reply might have been annoyed had it not still sounded trance-like.

_He is too far away for me to describe better than that... I will direct you to him as you get closer. Your armour makes you easy to spot from here... Walk forward twenty paces along the dockside..._

Taran did as he was instructed, stopping to wait for the next direction.

_Go another ten... It is difficult to tell how many of your strides it is to reach him._

The champion frowned, once again walking and then stopping.

_He's on your right, third person along the sea front._

Taran fixed his eyes on the back of young man with light golden brown hair, who had a large travel bag on his back. Quietly he walked up behind him and paused while the oblivious youth sighed, that pause conveying a silent question to the observing queen.

_Yes, that's the one..._

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Arkai sighed, staring out at the waves. He'd been a fool to come here, just like his family had said. He'd wasted his time and money, and the only consolation was that if he joined up with the wagon convoy again to head back south then at least he could make back the rupees he'd lost on this pointless venture. He sighed again, closing his eyes in defeat. Those eyes then flew open as someone tapped on his shoulder. Spinning round he came face to face with a man in the silver and green armour of the Queen's Champion.

The man regarded him steadily.

"You are to come with me. The Triforce of Wisdom deigns that you have an important message for our queen..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Poor Arkai keeps getting a kick up the butt from reality, but fate keeps giving him a hand. Man, if this keeps up he's gonna end up a nervous wreck XD**


	4. Request of a Queen

**Alaia Skyhawk: And so it begins... Brave Hero Arkai is asked to save the day, his strength making his enemies tremble! (Sees Arkai trip over with a splat) ... ... ... (Sweatdrops) Um... Ok, the 'Brave Hero' making his enemies tremble part still needs some work... **

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 4: Request of a Queen

-

The young man was torn between elation at getting into the castle to see the queen, and sheer terror that he might actually be being taken to a nice 'cosy' cell somewhere in the castle's bowels for the incident back at the gate. That he was being escorted by the Queen's Champion was only a small comfort, but it still didn't mean that the latter possibility wasn't going to happen. Arkai did his best not to flinch under the scrutiny of the people he passed, more than a few of which were regarding him with suspicion. Not surprising really give the vice-like grip his escort had on his arm to stop him making a run for it.

They came out from among the houses close to the castle wall and close to a small gate set into it. The guard there immediately opened it for the pair, and once inside Arkai's escort let go of his arm.

He looked sidelong at the frightened youth.

"Don't bother trying to run. Now that you're inside the castle walls there's nowhere for you to go. Just follow me and stay close. If you try anything I won't hesitate to drag you."

Arkai regarded the middle aged man the way a deer eyes a hunter who has lowered his spear but not dropped it.

"Why have you really brought me in here? I tried to get in before but the guards at the gate told me to get lost."

The man let out a laugh.

"So that _was_ you. I thought as much after the queen spotted you from her study window. The moment she set eyes on you the Triforce of Wisdom resonated, and she kept her eyes on you and gave me directions to where you were." He pulled a pouch from inside his armour, though he didn't open it. "Royal Gossip Stone. The Queen's Champion traditionally carries it so that no matter where he is the queen's words can always reach him. I'm interested to learn just what it is you have to say to her. It must be something unusual for the Triforce of Wisdom to react the way it did."

Arkai gulped, as the two of them walked into the grand entrance chamber of the castle and headed for the stairs at its rear.

"T-The Triforce of Wisdom reacted when she looked at me? But why me? I'm a nobody-wannabe-sailor from Nae Lanai."

The champion looked at him again, their having passed down a hallway and reached another set of stairs.

"A 'nobody' who came alone, against the wishes of his hometown's leaders, to this city in order to speak to the queen of something he believed important enough to do so. In a land as tied to fate as this one, such things are never coincidence." He led him out of the spiral stairwell several floors up. Indicating the well decorated hallway before them, he then placed a hand on Arkai's shoulder. "Now this is the Royal Wing; the queen has her study here. There will be no need for formalities with her in there. It is a place of business, not the formal flapping of tongues which makes a simple statement talk half an hour to utter. Be polite, but more importantly keep things to the point."

He took hold of Arkai's arm again, sensing that without that pull the youth would have remained frozen to the spot by the stairs. He passed several doors along the hallway, stopping at and pushing him in ahead of him before entering.

Arkai stumbled to a stop inside the room as the man behind him closed the door; one of the two women present staring at him in shock.

"Arkai? _You're_ the one with the message?"

Arkai looked at her, an expression of equal shock on his face.

"Taleen... You're here too?"

The man behind him walked over to stand by her, turning to regard him.

"So you're the young man my niece was talking about; the one her friend Alana helped by giving him a ride to this city in exchange for work. She came up here to visit me as she usually does, and spoke of how you seemed to have something on your mind. It seems she was right." He looked at the other woman, who stood by the window dressed in the traditional garb of the queens of Hyrule. "Your Majesty, I have brought him as you requested."

The youth from Nae Lanai stood stock still as those sapphire blue eyes settled on him, shadows of worry haunting them. She walked towards him.

"I bid you welcome to my castle, Arkai, and I apologise if my having Taran bring you up here so abruptly frightened you. You may relax, for you are not in any kind of trouble, quite the opposite." She held up her right hand, showing him the symbol that blazed upon the back of it. "If you were not meant to stand before me then the Triforce of Wisdom would not have called my attention to you... You have something you wish to tell me of, that is correct?"

She stopped, standing some halfway between the window and himself as she lowered her arm to her side. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerve, Arkai began to explain.

"A week ago, in Nae Lanai, dark mist came out of the normal sea fog and swept over the town. I was right on the dockside when it happened, with my friend Jaran. We ducked into an alley, and came out after the mist suddenly vanished and it was then he changed. He tried to hurt me, forcing me to knock him out. Afterwards, when I tried to explain what I'd seen in the mist, everyone said I'd just been seeing sun spots and that I was imagining it. So I came here to tell _you_..."

Taran frowned.

"Is that it? You came to tell us of an attack that we learnt of the day after it happened?"

The queen held up a hand, silencing him before speaking in a quiet voice.

"What did you see in the mist, Arkai?"

He met her gaze, his expression pleading for her to believe him as before now none had done.

"Eyes... I saw three pairs of golden irises set into eyes as red a blood. They watched as the people ran, gleeful as if their fear was amusing... I tried to point them out to Jaran, before he changed, but even when he was looking right at them he never saw them..."

Queen Zerana's expression became thoughtful.

"Eyes in the Dark Mist..."

Taran snorted.

"You expect us to believe you saw something that no one else has? That's redi..."

"He is not the only one..."

The champion turned to face her.

"Your Majesty?"

She looked at Arkai again.

"I too have seen the eyes, eyes full of malice such as that cast over those that are Changed. I saw them as the Dark Mist struck this city from the sea five days ago, just a day after we learnt of the strike upon Nae Lanai... Only three people have seen them... Chieftain Koanli of the Rito Tribe is the second, and you are the third." Hope began to show in her eyes, which a few minutes before had been devoid of any. "That marks you as special, for while Koanli and I are both Keepers, _you_ are not... That you have seen them leads me to believe that you might possess the qualities to wield the third piece of the Triforce; that with lies with it's Keeper, the Sage of Courage..."

Taleen began to splutter.

"Are you saying that you think _he's_ the one my ancestor spoke of in the message he left on the door into the Temple of Courage?" She looked at him. "No offence, Arkai, but you're hardly 'Hero' material." She turned to the queen again. "This guy was running scared from an irate innkeeper! Do you seriously think he could do it?!"

The queen gave her champion's niece a flat stare that silenced her.

"Whether he is or not, whether he can or not, that is not for us to decide..." She looked again at Arkai, who by this point was almost apoplectic with shock. "The Sage of Courage spoke of one such as you, one 'who would need to find the courage within'. I earnestly believe that that person is you, and so ask this of you. Believe me or not, will you at least do this; could you but begin the Pilgrimage of Sages. Would you do this for me? Will you ride across the lands and sail the seas, from mountain top to distance sands? Would you stand upon the consecration stones of each Temple, and in doing so find out if I am right?"

Her eyes pleaded with him, _begged_ him. He started to shake his head.

"But I'm not a warrior..."

She continued to gaze at him, her next words spoken with such desperation that it shocked him to hear the queen speak to him in such a way.

"_Please..._"

Her voice cut through him, that plea tearing at his heart. All further resistance crumbled as he then replied in a subdued voice.

"...Alright... I'll do it. I'll see if you are right, and travel as you have asked to the Temples..."

Her smile of gratitude in the next moment was like a golden dawn after the darkest of winters.

"Thank you." She glanced at her champion. "Taran, take him down to the armoury and set him up with a sword and shield, and show him the basics of using them. I'll have a room and travelling supplies prepared for him while you do that."

Taran bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"As you wish, Your Majesty." He headed for Arkai, taking him by the arm again and leading him out of the study as Taleen followed behind. "Now then... Let's go show you which is the right end of a sword to hold..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The armoury looked just as you would expect one to look, though from the expression on Arkai's face it was a heck of a lot _bigger_ than one might expect. The vast low room was divided by rows of columns supporting the ceiling and the castle above, those rows were then divided into walkways by the various racks of weapons placed between the columns in lines.

Pausing and glancing at the young man beside him, Taleen having been banished on the way down when it became clear she was making Arkai even more nervous than he already was, Taran raised an eyebrow much as his niece might before speaking.

"By your height a standard blade would be best, which incidentally is also the size that the Master Sword is; though by all accounts the Master Sword is slightly heavier. If you _are_ the one my ancestor spoke of, starting you off with a blade lighter than it would be best. Come with me." He led him down one of the rows and over several aisles before stopping in a section clearly devoted to swords and the associated shields one usually used in conjunction with one. Eyeing them up, he picked one up, hefting the blade inside its sheath. "Here, catch!"

He tossed it at Arkai, the young man fumbling for a moment to catch it. He stood there with the hilt lying in his left hand glaring.

"What did you do that for?! You could have warned me!"

Taran gave him a small smile.

"Well that answers that question; your sword hand is your left. That at least is a positive sign, since every hero in our history has wielded his blade with his left hand." He crossed the row to the racks of shields opposite, picking out one where the leather arm strap was on the right of the back, the metal handle on the left; just as was needed for it to be worn on the right arm of its bearer. "Which means this is the shield you'll use. It's a standard Hyllian Shield, nothing fancy, but it does its job. Now come with me and I'll show you how to use it and that blade you're holding."

He walked back towards the armoury entrance, leaving a gaping Arkai staring after him. The youth followed, grumbling under his breath.

"I'm beginning to wish I'd said no..."

The walk they took this time was rather shorter than that from the Royal Wing to the armoury, but when the youth saw what was in store for him he immediately wished it had taken longer. Taran had brought him into a training room, a padded circle in the middle of its floor. Ushering the youth inside, he closed the door to ensure that no gawkers would interrupt.

He walked up to Arkai, taking hold of the belt attached to the sheath of the sword he was holding.

"Now, as you're left handed and not right handed, rather than wearing the blade at your left hip you instead wear it across your back with the hilt rising above your left shoulder. Don't ask me why it's not worn at the right hip instead, all I know is that this way is traditional." He showed the youth how to loop the belt around his torso, passing around his right side and over his left shoulder. A smaller cord unclipped from the edge of the belt went under the left arm to stop the whole thing from slipping and leaving the hilt to low on the back to reach. With a little fumbling Arkai managed it, the adjustment of the leather strap on the shield to fit his arm following swiftly after; with Taran then hooking it upside-down onto a metal latch of sorts on the outside of the sword sheath. He stepped back and folded his arms. "Now the first lesson is in readying both sword and shield swiftly, unhooking the shield and drawing the sword in the same motion. You might wonder why I hung the shield upside down, well that's because it's easier to get at for a beginner. Simply slide your right arm around to your back with your palm facing inwards. If you have it high enough it should pass straight through the leather strap and to the handle of the shield. All you do then is grip, lift, and bring your arm out and to the side with the shield on it. Now try it."

Arkai did as he was told, life in a port town at least having kept him fit and flexible enough to make the movement. He looked a little surprised when he got it right on his first try.

"Hey, that was pretty easy."

The champion sighed.

"Which doesn't change the fact that your shield is still upside-down on your back. It's the mark of an amateur, and will tell anything that attacks you that you don't have a clue how to fight properly. While that fact may be true, only a fool advertises it. Now I'm going to hand it the right way up, and then tell me how easy it is to unhook it." He replaced the shield on Arkai's back. "This time your hand must be palm outwards, and you must slide it _past_ the metal handle, past the leather strap, and then bend your wrist to double back and go through the strap unhooking it as you go. That's the harder method, but more reliable than grabbing the metal handle, bringing the shield out to your side, and then tossing it upwards just enough to let go of the handle and slide your arm into the strap while its in mid air."

He demonstrated both methods, the latter much faster, but it was clear that to pull it off with speed took a lot of practice.

With a few grimaces of discomfort at the contortions he was having to make with his arm, Arkai managed the first method at a reasonable speed. He then actually managed to startle the warrior by doing the second method and doing it almost as we as he himself had done.

The youth grinned.

"It's a bit like a game we played back home. We took a big disk of wood and tied a loop of rope across it. You had to throw it to each other using the rope, but without using your hands. You had to catch it by snagging the rope loop with your arm; this is almost exactly the same except the loop is smaller."

Recovering from his surprise, Taran actually looked relieved.

"Thank the gods for that much at least. While you may be a raw beginner you can at least _pretend_ to have an idea of how to fight. Now then, since we've just established that getting your shield off your back isn't going to be a problem for you, let's get to work on that sword... Now reach up and draw it." Keeping hold of his shield, Arkai did as he was told. Two seconds later there was a clang as the blade got stuck, was jerked free and then dropped from the potential hero's fingers. Taran looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him. "...I think we've got some work to do..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehe, fun! XD**


	5. Crash Course

**Alaia Skyhawk: :)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 5: Crash Course

-

Feet dragged on the floor, only the promise of a soft bed keeping knees, arms, and even face from doing the same. If it were possible to walk horizontal, he'd have been doing it right now...

Arkai followed behind the champion, carrying a sword and shield in his arms which felt as though they had gained eighty pounds in weight since he'd first held them. It was dark outside, the glow of the city lights shining on the wall through the window at the end of the hallway. He had no idea whereabouts in the castle he was, and to be quite frank he didn't care.

Taran stopped outside a door, opening it and gesturing for the exhausted youth to enter.

"Go get some rest. I'll come back up in the morning to get you for another lesson. The day after that you're to depart with the Lon Lon Ranch convoy. You'll leave them at the junction with the road heading west."

Arkai wasn't really listening, he was too tired, and how Taran knew all that he wasn't sure anyway... He'd been too out of it to notice when the man had spoken with the message runner who'd told him all that along with which room had been prepared. But, putting all that aside, the youth entered the room and fell flat out on the bed after the watching champion had the foresight to remove the sword and shield from his grasp and set them on the floor by the door. Giving the now comatose young man one last amused glance, he then left and closed the door behind him...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"Rise and shine! If you want breakfast then you have to get up right now!"

That shout cut through the business-like rapping on the door, the youth on the room's bed jolting awake only to tangle in the blankets that he'd fallen asleep on _top_ of and thud onto the floor.

Arkai groaned as he eased his stiff body upright.

"What time is it?"

The door opened, the blond haired head of the Queen's Champion poking through the gap.

"An hour before dawn..."

"What?!"

Arkai stared at him in horror while the man fully entered the room and shrugged.

"That's the time everyone in the castle gets up, except in summer when the dawn comes much earlier. You're having breakfast in the guardroom with me, and if you're not ready in the next two minutes then I'll leave you to find it yourself. For the record, breakfast is only served in there for one hour, and if you aren't there during that time then you don't get any." He gave the youth a small smile. "And to counter any suspicions about what I'm going to teach you today, it's not going to be another sword lesson." Arkai sighed with relief; Taran continuing. "Since giving you another sword lesson would not really teach you more in such a short time than what you learned yesterday, today I will be teaching you the basics of riding a horse."

The youth from Nae Lanai seemed to go into a state of shock.

"WHAT?!"

The champion pulled him to his feet.

"If you think the queen will let you _walk_ to all the Temples on the Mainland you're mistaken. She's already given word to the Stable-master to pick out one of her own mounts for you to use. In case you're wondering, that means that she's loaning you one of her Nayruan Runners."

Arkai began to protest.

"B-but I have no idea how to look after a horse properly. Even if you teach me to ride one, what about that?"

Since the young man was still dressed from the previous day, even though the clothes weren't exactly the freshest, Taran led him out of the room and down the hall.

"That's lucky for you then since a Nayruan is more than smart enough to look after itself. All you'll need to do is run a brush over them at the end of each day to get the road dirt off. They're as smart as Eponasians; not surprising really when you consider that the descendants of Malon bred them from a side branch of the earlier examples of that breed. Apparently that side branch got Epona's smarts, but not her choosy nature when it comes to riders."

By this point Arkai began to relax a little, reassured by the champion's explanation even though the thought of being loaned one of the queen's horses still daunted him. Breakfast in the guardroom made him relax further, with the banter and joking going on between the castle guards creating a cheerful atmosphere in the room with its long tables and benches. By the time the pair had eaten and headed off for the stables, he was quite looking forward to his next lesson.

The stables were set against the outside of the castle, a pair of fenced off yards, one with grass and one with sandy earth, extending between it and the wall around the castle grounds. The sandy yard was empty at this time, but the grassy one was scattered with about thirty golden tan Malonian Runners... and five horses of palest gold. Vaulting the fence into the empty yard, Taran stopped beside a gate that connected the two and whistled. Immediately one of golden horses lifted its head and trotted over.

Arkai stared in awe.

"Wow... I'm going to be riding _him_?"

The horse snorted as it came through the gate, Taran opening it and then closing it behind the equine. The champion gave the youth a wry smile.

"_Her_... This is Anami, the horse the Stable-master has picked for you. He's already explained the situation to her, so she understands the importance of your journey and also to go easy on you until you get used to riding." As Anami nudged him playfully, he reached up and petted her neck. "Used to be that the Nayruans were white, but it seems the trait of a coloured coat and white mane from Epona was too strong for the people at Lon Lon to breed out of them. It was only a century ago that they finally got a particular colour to pass on from one generation to the next consistently, that being the colour you see here." The mare started pushing her soot black nose at the pouches handing from Taran's belt, snuffling hopefully. Batting the nose aside, he relented and pulled a piece of apple out of one of them. "Fine, here you go you glutton."

Anami snaffled the piece of apple from his hand, munching on it happily before walking to the fence and sticking her head over it to take a closer look at the youth on the other side. Tentatively, Arkai reached up and petted her nose.

"Hey there, Anami... Sorry for calling you a guy..." She snorted into his hand, before lifting her nose and lipping at his fingers gently. She then gripped the end of his sleeve in her teeth and gave it a small tug. "You want me to come in there?"

She let go and gave a clear nod, Arkai doing as requested only to get a thorough look over from the mare. Satisfied, she then nudged his left shoulder.

Seeing Arkai's puzzled glance, Taran interpreted.

"She wants you to go get her saddle. A nudge on the left shoulder mean's saddle; a nudge on the right and she just wants to get your attention. Now come with me and we'll both teach you the proper way to saddle her."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

It was once again that he made his way to his room in a considerable amount of pain, though this time it was his legs and rear rather than his arms that ached. Hobbling a little after a day spent in Anami's saddle, he could at least say that his riding had passed inspection. Even though he'd never ridden before today, he'd only fallen off once and that was when Anami took off at full speed for the first time just after he'd had a break for lunch. She was fast, and that fall made it definite that he'd remember it in future.

He opened his door and went in, stopping in his tracks at what he saw within. A set of fine saddlebags had been left on his bed along with boots, several sets of clothing, and a cloth roll he didn't need to open to know would be camping gear. There was a note set on top of the pile of clothes, and picking it up he read it.

"'Everything you'll need for your trip is here. Food, and your water canteens, will be given to you tomorrow before you depart. I thank you for your agreeing to try, for that is all that anyone can ask that someone do in a situation such as this. I regret that I will not be able to see you off, but I have many duties to attend to in this dire time. My prayers go with you, Arkai. Gods speed your journey and guide you down a safe path. Good luck... Alliane Zerana Hyrule.'" He lowered the note and sighed. "She hopes that I will save Hyrule, and all I can manage to hope for is that I don't turn out to be a huge disappointment to her... I wasn't sure yesterday, but now I am. I _want_ to be the one she hopes I am, because I don't want to see her as desperate as she was yesterday. A queen should never have to beg to save her people, and yet I ended up making her. I don't want to let her down."

He set the note aside, taking a closer look at the clothing. He wasn't surprised at the green tunic, nor the grey shirt and tan leggings. Not even the chainmail shirt surprised him, for all people in Hyrule were familiar with the traditional garb of a Hero or potential Hero-to-be. Many legends spoke of why green was the colour Heroes always seemed to wear, but there was one that he liked the most, and that was that green is the colour of new life, like that which a Hero gives hope of to the people, and that it is also the colour representing Farore, the creator of all the worlds living things and the embodiment of courage. He smiled as he began to pack all but one set of the clothing into the saddlebags; that smile turning to a look of disgust as he picked up the final item and held it at arm's length.

_I am NOT wearing that hat!_

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"Well here we are, about to say goodbye for now; and to think I only met you two days ago."

Taran stood at the base of the stairway that led to the grand double doors that were the main entrance into the castle, Arkai stood before him with Anami at his shoulder in the pre-dawn light.

The youth from Nae Lanai smiled back at him, plucking at the green tunic he now wore, the hat from the previous night lost somewhere in the depths of his bags.

"I'll do my best. I just hope I don't disappoint you all." He looked at the ground and scuffed his booted foot. "Thanks for teaching me what you could in the time we had, and tell Queen Zerana thank you for everything she's given me to help me."

The champion nodded.

"I will." He looked around at the small escort that would remain with Arkai, and his niece, up to the edge of the city where they would join up with the Lon Lon Ranch convoy. "Well, you and Taleen should best be off. They'll be getting ready to head out, and you don't want to keep them waiting... And mind you practice those sword drills I showed you, Arkai!"

The pair of them glanced at each other, before each mounting their horses; Arkai fumbling a little up into Anami's saddle and Taleen almost gliding up into that of the horse she was borrowing as far as the south gate. It was with that that the pair and their escort set off towards the Main Gate, Taleen waving back at her uncle before turning to look ahead.

As he watched them go, a voice whispered from a pouch hung beneath his armour.

_So you never told him what you told me... Why not?_

Taran sighed, replying to his queen.

"Right now he thinks himself a bare novice at sword work, and because of that he'll do as I've asked and practice those drills... What was I supposed to do? Tell a young man who's never held a sword before in his life that I had to skip three levels worth of lessons and throw him in at knight level skills? After that initial fumbling with drawing the sword he was almost a different man. If I'd not known better I'd have sworn he was _born_ with a blade in his grip. He was out of breath by the end of that lesson, but I myself had to fight to hide that I was in little better shape. Port life has made him physically very fit and strong, and what I could only describe as god given talent has made him a born swordsman. He'll learn it himself as he travels, in a way that won't lead to him becoming _over_ confident."

The voice whispered again.

_So you no longer doubt my choice to ask this of him?_

The champion shook his head, turning to look at a window high up on the castle's face where he could just make out a figure which had been standing there watching the bearer of their hopes set off on his journey. Knowing that she looked back at him, he smiled.

"No, I don't. He _is_ the one... A young man born to be a warrior, but who still needs to learn just how strong he really is... A man who needs to find the courage within..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: For those interested, I based Anami off Anemoi, a Greek word for winds from what I could tell from the excerpt from Greek Myth that I got it from. If that's not what it means (Shrugs) I like the name anyway :D**


	6. A Quest Begins

**Alaia Skyhawk: It's been a while, I know, but I got stuck into Path of Restoration after playing Dawn of the New World gave me some ideas.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 6: A Quest Begins

-

"So this is goodbye for now then... Good luck, Arkai, and watch yourself."

Taleen and Alana regarded him from atop their Eponasians, the convoy still moving along the road south; passing the junction with the westbound road that Arkai would be taking. He was sat atop Anami, the mare impatient to get moving again but also knowing that her new temporary master wanted to say farewell to the ranch girl and the champion's niece.

He sighed.

"Yeah, I guess it is. You all look after yourselves as well. I don't want to pass by Castle Town in four weeks time only to hear you got mugged by bandits or something."

Alana laughed as Taleen grinned wickedly.

"I think it's more likely that you'll hear about _us_ beating up the bandits. Keep up that sword practice and maybe you'll beat me in a sparring match someday."

The pair of them turned, galloping after the convoy to lead from the front again, leaving him sat there watching them go. Nudging Anami with a heel, he sighed.

"Time for us to go as well, I guess. It's just you and me from here on out." Anami snorted, as she turned and set off at a steady lope down the western road, Arkai having to grab the saddle to steady himself. "Hey! What's the rush?" He tugged on the reins to get her to slow down, but she kept going. "Anami!"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

A soot black nose appeared in his field of view, his sheathed sword held daintily in the mare's teeth. She eyed him as he glared back.

"After what you did to me today, do you seriously think I want to practice with that thing right now?" She nudged him, whickering as he began to grumble. "My legs feel like they've been frozen at an angle, my rear feels like it's been pounded, and my back feels like I've been lugging barrels around all day. I am _not_ in the mood for this, Anami."

She nudged him again, a little more urgently this time, as with a roll of an eye and a flicked back ear she glanced behind herself into the twilight shadows.

"Hhnnnn!"

Arkai scowled.

"What is up with you? Anyone would think you were trying to tell me something is coming..."

"Yahhh!"

The potential hero leapt to his feet as a mob of several bandits came charging out of the darkness, blades raised with obvious intentions. He grabbed his sword from Anami's mouth drawing it from its sheath and scrabbling for his shield while the mare turned to give him some time.

One of the bandits rushed towards her, but then began to make a panicked attempt to stop as she dropped down into a crouch on her rear legs and lashed out with her fore hooves. They took him in the head and shoulder, the bandit crumpling to the floor. She dropped to four legs again and spun, kicking out her hind legs at another man and sending him flying as the now armed Arkai darted past her towards the rest of the attacking force.

One of them made an overhead swing at him, but without really thinking he side stepped it and slammed his shield into the side of the man's face while blocking a swing from another on his left using his sword. He then, following the drills Taran had taught him, proceeded to disarm and then wound the second man while the first slumped to the ground in a daze.

The bandits broke and run, one of them grabbing the dazed man and dragging him stumbling away.

Arkai watched them go, rather stunned.

"Wow, they were really bad swordsmen... I mean, I'm a raw beginner and I just beat the crap out of two of them..." He headed towards his seat by the fire, wincing a little since he was still sore from riding a loping horse for most of the day. "Well at least I feel a little looser now after that." He blinked and then paused, looking down at the sword in his hand and the fleck of red on the end of it. He then changed direction, heading for his saddlebags. "On second thoughts I'll clean this and then practice for a bit. It'll loosen me up some more and improve my sword work too, two birds with one stone. I got lucky that those guys were so bad with weapons, might not get that lucky again."

He pulled the kit for tending his sword from his bags, cleaning the blade and then heading to a spot a short distance away, and away from the two dead bandits that Anami had felled, beginning to practice his sword drills while the mare watched him in bemused silence... The guy pulls off a perfectly timed move to incapacitate one man while blocking another, and then disarms the other guy in three passes... and calls himself a 'raw beginner'. She sighed, it could be worse... He could have still been complaining about his cramping legs...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Short I know, but bar a possible scene at Grey Tor on his way back towards Hyrule Castle Town there's nothing I can really add on this stretch since it's just Arkai, Anami, his sword practice, and a long open road until he gets to Lake Hylia. I'd have given myself major writer's block to try and add any more, which would have meant delaying updates on this fic even longer. Anyways, next chapter will be longer! Fun with Ruto! Yay!**


	7. Unexpected Test

**Alaia Skyhawk: Lake Hylia! (For the record the lake is about 5 miles wide, in case it's been a while since anyone's taken at look at the map from Winds. Just so you know what I'm describing at the start. That thing is big...)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 7: Unexpected Test

-

The lake glittered in the afternoon light, a great disk of dappled waters framed by a backdrop of the mountainous ridges which cradled Zora's Domain to the north-west. Far out into that disk he could see a small island dotted by a single tree, the bridges leading from it to the northern shore impossible to see at this distance... Even the island was hard to spot.

Arkai winced as he turned to face forward again, having spent every day of the last week and a half in the saddle his body was seriously complaining. But no pain no gain as they say, as sore as he was he was sure he'd get used to riding with practice. He'd taken the south route at the fork in the road some four miles back where it met Lake Hylia, deciding to pay a visit to the city he knew was on its southern shore, to rest for a day before heading to the Temple. That city was ahead of him now, the road moving away from the shore of the lake a little to pass the end of rim of cliffs that had once encircled the lake. The only remaining cliffs were to the north now, the southern rim having crumbled away to little more than a low ridge when the land had risen to the surface five hundred years ago. The southern shore now clear, it was only natural that a new settlement would develop there.

The city was in view now, or at least the end of it; tall fluted towers and low graceful buildings, built in flowing lines which looked as though the stone were carved by the waters of the lake itself. It was the pride of the people living there, a mixed population of Hyllians and Zoras, the buildings being of construction by the former, but designed by the latter. It was a combination of two styles, two cultures, merged into one harmonious whole.

It was with wonder that Arkai looked around as Anami carried him into the city, wonder which turned to sheer awe as the road passed around the end of the city to reveal the many terraces which seemed to flow down the deep slope south of the lake, the great waterfall, which was the result of the old underground river being blocked by subsidence, flowing over the rim of the lake above and down through the heart of the city before being routed through the many canals which ran throughout it. Hylienalis, the City of Water, it was more beautiful than any of the stories he'd heard told of it.

Arkai stared at the sight, even Anami seemed to be stunned by it as her rider's eyes traced the line of the city to where it met the forest dotted hills to the south, the altitude of this place letting the people here see the ocean beyond on a clear day. It was no small wonder that reams of poetry had been written about this place since it had been built, it certainly filled a person with inspiration.

The potential hero continued to take in that panorama, as he and Anami just stood there.

"Seeing this view... If I hadn't agreed to this journey, I might never have seen this... Sailing on the Great Sea wouldn't have brought me anywhere near this place. To see all the lands of Hyrule... The Pilgrimage of Sages won't take me everywhere, but to enough places I wouldn't otherwise see. If those places are anything like this, seeing them alone would be reason enough to keep going." He let out a short laugh. "Can you believe me, Anami? Just over three weeks ago all I wanted was to be a sailor, to see nothing other than whatever ports I might find myself sailing to. Now though, seeing this makes me realise there's so much more to Hyrule... I think I'm _actually _starting to _want_ to explore; to go on an adventure to see just where that might take me."

The mare snorted, tossing her head a little as she whickered in a way that sounded a great deal like a laugh.

"Huhuhuhuhnn..."

Arkai laughed back.

"Ok ok, I know you think it funny coming from a guy who would rather run from a monster than fight one. Exploring means going to places where monsters might be, which means me saying I _want_ to explore effectively says I'm seriously considering wanting to go to those places, monsters or not... I just wish Jaran could see me now, he'd be laughing his head off to see his 'jib headed' best friend getting all inspired to go places on land. I always did say the sea was all I needed, but now I'm not so sure I believe that anymore."

Thinking about his Changed friend made him pause, Anami sensing his shift in mood.

"Hnnnn..."

He patted her shoulder.

"I'm fine, it's just that thinking about what that mist did to him gets me down. That's another reason for me to keep going, to save him and all the others like him; to return them to normal... I want to hear him laugh again, for the two of us to walk down Nae Lanai docks bitching about my cousin Yara with the sea wind in our faces." He sighed and then nudged her with his heel. "Come on, let's go find and inn with a stable, then both of us can sleep comfortable tonight."

The pair of them set off again, walking into the heart of the City of Water.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"This is the best of our rooms, and I'll make sure the Stablemaster takes care of your horse personally. If there's anything else I can help you with, all you need to do is ask."

Arkai turned to face the innkeeper, a little embarrassed by the preferential treatment he was getting. It had started the moment after he'd dismounted in the yard between the inn and its stable, Anami being recognised as a Nayruan the moment she'd strolled nonchalantly in with him astride her. One of the stable hands had immediately rushed over, helping the rather stiff and sore Arkai down from her back and then lifting the saddlebags down for him as well. One of the porters from the inn had then hurried over to carry them for him, while the stable hand led Anami with infinite care into the hay warmth of a clean straw lined stall. It had only gotten worse when the potential hero had pulled Queen Zerana's writ from inside his tunic. That writ guaranteed him free accommodation and supplies, with the cost to be covered by the crown in full... That writ, along with his clothing, made it obvious just what he was doing and who he was. Not to say that he would be known as 'Arkai', but rather everyone would know he was the one the queen thought might be their salvation from the darkness now assailing the lands of Hyrule... All of a sudden the pressure placed on him, not to end the journey in abysmal failure, grew from the size of a boulder to the size of Hyrule Castle.

He scratched the back of his head, doing his best not to cringe at all the attention.

"Really, it's fine, this is more than enough. All I want is to sleep in a real bed and stretch my legs a bit tomorrow. You don't have to do anything special."

The woman tilted her head, thoughtful.

"And why not? You're the Hero we've been waiting for, that the Sage of Courage said would come."

Arkai winced.

"Uh, to be honest I'm not so sure about that. I _want_ to be the one, but I'm not sure if I'm really up to it. I keep wondering if my attempt is going to end up as a complete disaster... The only thing I seem to have going for me is that I saw the Eyes in the Dark Mist, like the Queen and Chieftain Koanli did. It's why she asked me to do this, and I feel like I'm seriously out of my depth."

The innkeeper blinked, before smiling.

"You know how much everyone is depending on you to succeed, and you worry about failing because you _care_ about them. You've got a lot of honesty admitting that to me... A lot of courage."

It was Arkai's turn to blink.

"Huh?"

She continued to smile.

"It takes courage to tell someone who is depending on you that you're afraid. While I may not know personally, I'd bet that every Hero that has ever existed has felt the same way at some point as you do now. Keep doing your best, keep trying, that's all any of us can ask of you. To ask more wouldn't be fair." She turned and headed for the door, pausing to glance back. "That's why I'm giving you the best room, and the Stablemaster will tend to your horse. You've got a lot to shoulder, and for tonight at least we at this inn can lift a little of that burden from you. Get some rest and clear your head, you'll feel the better for it when you leave to continue on your journey."

She left, closing the door behind her as a rather stunned Arkai sank down onto the edge of the bed murmuring to himself.

"It takes courage to admit to being afraid? I have courage? But I'm such a wimp..." He looked down at his hands. "Maybe I am, but damned as hell I'm going to try."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Silver flashed as sunlight struck steel, the razor length of the blade swinging and darting as its wielder took it through the movements of the drills he'd been made to memorise and told to practice. He'd ditched his green over tunic for today, although he still wore his chainmail between his grey shirt and the padded undershirt that went with the armour, both to continue getting used to the weight of it and to protect himself from his own sword should he make a mistake while practicing with it. By the time he'd been practicing for an hour he had quite the audience watching him, from the inn's windows, the stables, and even a few peering through the gate from the street outside. Word had spread that a young man wearing the garb of a Hero and carrying a Queen's Writ was staying in the town, and now it seemed that a few curious local swordsmen had decided to take a look at the potential Hero.

Arkai stopped in his current drill as three young men and one middle aged one came in through the gate, looking rather uncomfortable once he noticed that there were about thirty people watching him; something that, in his focus on the drills, he hadn't noticed.

They stopped a few yards away from him, the oldest of the four stepping forward.

"So you're the one the queen thinks is the one to save us from the darkness... Care for a little sparring match? Nothing serious, just a bit of one on one using sheathed swords."

Arkai wanted the ground to swallow him, wanted to run as far and as fast as he could... Pity that sort of thing wouldn't go down too well given the expectant expressions of the watching people. Doing his best not to let his voice tremble, and amazingly actually succeeding, he replied.

"Ok... I'm still a bit stiff though from riding the past couple of weeks. Before that I'd never ridden before, so my legs and back have been paying for it."

As he unhooked his sheath from the strap across his back and torso, the man who had challenged him laughed.

"I can sympathise. I'll go easy on you lad, don't worry about that."

Like Arkai had done, he unhooked his sheath from his belt, him being right handed to the potential hero's left. As soon as both of them had tied the sheaths in place over their swords, they walked to the middle of the yard and faced each other, settling into a stance with their now safe swords at the ready.

Suppressing the urge not to gulp, Arkai looked at the older man and spoke with a confidence he certainly didn't feel if the stomach in his boots were any indication.

"You ready?"

The man nodded once, before lunging towards Arkai bringing his blade over high. As he had with the bandit those days ago, he side stepped the swing, but this time he turned anti-clockwise on one foot to bring his sword round at the challenger's back. The man actually had to dive and roll out of the way to dodge it, before coming back again. This time he swung up from low in a stabbing motion, jabbing towards the Nae Lanai youth's ribs. Arkai swung across his body, blade pointed down, to strike the other sword and force it out to the side. In his next few moves the challenging man went from pleasantly surprised to outright shocked when the young man he was fighting switched from the simple blocks he'd been using to a complex strike and parry pattern that literally forced him backwards and left him no chance to hit back. He was so pushed to keep up in fact that after just twenty seconds of fending it off his sword went flying across the yard.

Silence followed as Arkai stood there with his sheathed blade pointed at the older man's throat, both of them breathing heavily. Seconds later those watching erupted into cheers.

Arkai lowered his sword, blinking in surprise until the man came over and clapped him on the shoulder.

"By the gods! If you can do that when you're stiff I'd hate to fight you when you're fresh. The queen picked a good one when she picked you." He shook his head. "Me an experienced swordsman with student of my own, and beaten so quickly. You'll give that darkness a run for its money, I'm sure." He turned to the three young men who had watched from nearby. "That, lads, is a professional at work. Keep practicing and you'll be as good as him one day."

Arkai fidgeted a little.

"Um, you don't need to do that. I'm not really one for compliments..."

He got another slap on the shoulder along with a grin.

"And humble too; you've got a good head on you lad. Many a man with skill like yours would brag and boast about it, but you stand there with humility and composure. You're a fine example of a true swordsman, and you deserve to be looked up to after a display of skill like that. Who taught you?"

Arkai gave in to fate... Might as well go along with something he couldn't change.

"The Queen's Champion, Taran. He gave me private lessons before I left Hyrule City at the queen's request."

There were several gasps from the onlookers, the man who had challenged him starting to look a little embarrassed.

"I picked a fight with someone taught by the queen's own right hand man? I'd heard that man _never_ trains anyone solo, and only trains the best in small groups. You're something special to be given attention like that, it's no wonder you beat me so easily." He shook his head. "Well I never... A chance in a lifetime this was, and one I'll remember. Gods speed you on your journey, lad, and good luck to you wherever the road may take you."

He turned and left the yard, his three students following him as Arkai stood there in stunned silence. Perhaps now would be a good time to go back to his room and stay there...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The city fell away behind him, Arkai not even minding that his body complained at being exposed to Anami's loping again. Gripping the reins as the sun rose to his left, he shook his head, dumbfounded.

"That was crazy! I beat up an expert swordsman yesterday and I only held a blade for the first time two weeks ago! He thinks Taran must have trained me for _years_, he and everyone else there!"

"Huhph."

The snort from the mare was the reply, the effort in running preventing a more lengthy response. Arkai continued to shake his head.

"What was I supposed to say? Yeah I was trained by Taran... for about _six_ _hours!_ How the hell did I become so good so fast?" He paused for a moment, remembering something from that session two weeks previous. "...Wait a minute... Not long after we started he looked a bit surprised and then started beating the crap out of me and making me memorise all those drills... That bastard _knew!_ He knew and he let me think I needed all that practice just to stop myself falling flat on my face!"

"Huhph!"

Arkai shook his head one more time, before beginning to laugh.

"It's ok, I get why he didn't say anything. He didn't want me to become cocky and overconfident, so he kept quiet." He laughed again. "Aw man, those bandits must have freaked after I fumbled for my sword like an idiot before suddenly going highly skilled on them. I was scared I wasn't going to be much of a fighter in this, but now I really think I might have a chance."

"Hnnn!"

He smiled.

"Yeah yeah, I'm going to keep practicing. Only a fool would think he was an expert just because he got lucky in the talent department." He leaned closer to her, lowering his body to better balance against her running. "When I get back from all this you're hardly going to recognise me, Jaran. Just you wait and see!"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The bridge swayed a little beneath his feet, forcing him to use his arms to keep his balance as he'd had to do several times since setting out at dawn. After riding the eight miles or so around the shore of the lake from the city to the lone building on the northern shore, he'd spent the night there before setting out on foot over the dozens of bridges which linked together in a long string out to the island in the middle of the expanse of water. That building had, a very long time ago, been a research facility or so stories said. These days the Zora maintained it as a wayhouse for those wishing to visit the temple island, since the bridges that went out to it connected to the shore the better part of a day's travel from Hylienalis. The two mile walk across the bridges was bad enough, but for people to have to camp on shore and wait for morning in order to make sure they could go out and come back before dark was a bit much.

The Zoras there had been friendly, chatting cheerfully to him before he'd gone to bed, and making breakfast for him before he'd left this morning while Anami stayed on shore to graze and wait for him to come back. The only thing that was bothering him was something they'd mentioned while he'd been eating... That the Sage of Water had been secretive for the past two weeks, and seemed to be expecting a visitor...

Arkai looked at the island which this last section of bridge connected to, a feeling of dread coming over him... Why did he get a bad feeling about this? He stepped off the end of the bridge, walking towards the hexagonal stone which lay near the middle of the small area of land. The island was barely big enough to fit an average house on, though he knew it was bigger below the water, and besides the stone and a carved slab to one side, there was nothing else on it but the tall and slightly battered looking tree.

He stepped onto the stone, stopping on the middle of it before jumping in fright as a female voice came from behind him. He spun round to look, and came face to face with a Zoran woman with violet eyes, an unusual feature for her race.

She tilted her head and smiled.

"So you've come, Arkai. Queen Zerana used the Triforce of Wisdom to inform all of us of your journey to see us. I am Ruto, the Sage of Water, and this is for you."

With a flare of light something appeared in her hand, which she then tossed at him. He fumbled to catch it, staring in confusion at what looked like a three pronged grabbing claw set into the end of a handle with chain wrapped around it.

Baffled, he looked up at her.

"What's this, and why give me it?"

She began to chuckle in a way that made him _very_ nervous.

"If you _are_ the one the Sage of Courage said would arise, then you're going to need that clawshot to reach him... but before I let you leave with it, you must _earn it_."

She conjured a ball of water and threw it at him, forcing him to dodge with a terrified expression on his face.

"I have to fight you?!!"

She threw another before diving off the side of the island into the water, surfacing a moment later.

"I'll give you one pointer. That thing has an extendable chain and the gripping claw on the end will grab onto a number of semi-hard surfaces, wood especially. It will also grab objects if they are small enough or have a point on them small enough to grip. What you have to do now you will have to work out for yourself."

She dove again, swimming in sight of the shore and not too far out. After a few seconds she surfaced and with her power lifted a huge ball of water from the lake. She threw it, Arkai again having to dodge as the lump of water as big as he was thundered past before bursting like a bubble into a shower of droplets.

Taking advantage of her being underwater again, he thrust his right hand into the clawshot's grip and with a little fumbling located the trigger. He then pointed it towards Ruto as she surfaced again, firing it when she threw another ball of water. The claw sped outwards with a resonant click and the rattle of chain, bursting the ball before it got to the island. Several balls later Arkai came to the conclusion that bursting them wasn't the task.

"Think think think! What am I supposed to do! Yahh!"

He rolled, barely avoiding the ball that had been aimed at his head, Ruto's amused voice carrying across the water to where he stood.

"Tsk tsk, daydreaming in the middle of a fight is never a good idea... Hurry up, Arkai, if you take much longer you'll fail my test."

She dove again, circling underwater for almost fifteen seconds before surfacing for just three to throw another ball. It was then that Arkai realised what he was supposed to do. He dodged the ball, and immediately after he began tracking the Sage as he'd once tracked game birds in the fields near his hometown before felling them with a bow. Aiming ahead of her, he fired.

The clawshot cut into the water, but seemed to angle upwards to pass above the Zora. He rolled his eyes as he dodged the next ball, realising his error.

"It's _water_, Arkai, it distorts what you see and makes it look higher than it is... Aim lower than your target looks."

He took aim again, firing. This time the chain clearly just skimmed what he was aiming for, and on his next attempted it seemed third time was the lucky one when the prongs of the claw latched around Ruto's ankle.

He braced himself as the chain began to retract, dragging the Sage out of the water and onto the island. As soon as it pulled her over the edge she vanished, freeing herself from the still retracting claw and appearing just to the left of where she'd been.

She smiled.

"Nicely done, you pass... Though you still need to practice using that thing, and learn what can be done with it. Take it with my blessing."

And with that she disappeared, leaving him with nothing else to do but make the long walk back to shore.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Click rattle, clunk rattle click...

Arkai pulled the fist sized rock he'd grabbed out of the claw, throwing it a short way along the road ahead of him and taking aim again. The Lake was three days behind them now, the young man and his horse heading back east to make their way to the Shrine of Light west of Hyrule Castle Town. During those days he'd convinced the mare to walk for a while each say, giving him a rest from her running and also a chance to practice with his new tool while moving. He'd gotten quite good at it, usually managing to pick his now rather abused looking rock on the first attempt each time. He'd even picked up sticks and things from the road side for a change of pace, the awkward shapes making it more of a challenge to pick a point where hauling it in wouldn't cause an errant twig to try and poke his eye out. Even so it was now getting a little boring, and scanning his surroundings after grabbing and tucking his practice rock into his saddle bags he spotted something he hadn't tried yet.

"Hmmm, didn't she say this thing gripped wood really well? Hmmm, why not?"

He pointed the clawshot at a roadside tree, waiting until it came into range before pulling the trigger.

Click rattle... thud...

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Anami stopped in her tracks in surprise as the weight on her back suddenly vanished... Arkai having just been given a close introduction of sorts via his new clawshot. He'd soared through the spring air after being ripped from his seat, only to face plant into the trunk of the aforementioned tree.

She walked over to where he lay in the grass, lowering her head to nudge him with her nose.

"Hnnnn..."

A groan and a pained reply came from the young man.

"Oww... Note to self: Don't aim at things that won't move unless you _want_ to be pulled to them..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehehe, I've been looking forward to doing that. FACE PLANT! XD**


	8. Interlude of Light

**Alaia Skyhawk: While some of you were no doubt disappointed by Arkai not doing a dungeon at Lake Hylia, I wasn't going to re-use the water temple as to be completely honest it would be as boring to write as it probably would be to read. For that reason none of the Temples from the games are going to feature as dungeons in this. However I **_**can**_** tell you that the Temple of Courage **_**will**_** be a dungeon... and one like nothing ever seen in a Zelda game. (Grins)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 8: Interlude of Light

-

It was with a great deal of anxious looking about and careful stepping that the young man walked down the white path ahead of him towards the white building at its end. After the incident with the tree his trip to this place had been uneventful, little of any interest happening bar what was for him a rather amusing encounter with the innkeeper at Inner South Gate. She'd been stunned into silence when he'd shown the Queen's Writ to her, and after the way she'd acted the last time he'd stayed there it took all his will power not to rub it in. 'Heroes' didn't do petty things like that, and as tempting as it had been he didn't want to do anything that might work against the Queen; after all if he acted like a jerk the people might question her wisdom in choosing him, and that wouldn't be a very good thing to have happen in present times and situation.

Arkai reached the door of the small shrine, the place was only twenty metres long by ten wide, a structure of white marble columns supporting walls deeply carved with depictions of the gods. The double doors to enter it were only part which was a different colour; soft silver with a border, the symbol of the Triforce, and the Crest of Light all inlaid into it in shimmering gold.

Nervously he pushed one side of it open, creeping into the shrine, tense and ready to dodge as he inched over the black and white tiled floor to the hexagonal stone in the middle of the rectangular chamber within. Stepping onto it, he then stopped in its centre before quickly turning to search his surroundings... Even so the Sage here still managed somehow to speak from behind him.

"So you've come..."

With a yelp Arkai made one last turn to face the old man in his orange robes, but overbalanced to fall onto his rear. Flushing with embarrassment, he pushed himself back to his feet.

"Um, yeah... Look, let's just get the item giving and fight thing over with."

The Sage regarded him blandly.

"Whoever said I was going to make you fight for the item I possess?"

Arkai froze with his mouth open in shock, before recovering and flushing an even deeper shade of red.

"Oh.... Ok, what now then?"

The Sage indicated that the young man follow, leading him to a pair of white benches which stood facing each other either side of a plain altar. Once he had sat down on one and Arkai on the other, he spoke.

"Firstly I will properly introduce myself; I am Rauru, the Sage of Light. As for what I require of you to gain the item I keep, all I ask is that you listen to what I have to tell you of the path you walk and the responsibilities it entails. Will you do that?"

Arkai stared at him for a moment.

"Um... sure. It beats the hell out of getting giant balls of water thrown at you."

Rauru smiled a little, just a tiny tug at the corner of his mouth, but it was enough to show his amusement.

"Well then, we'll start with the history of the Master Sword. How much do you know of it?"

The young man frowned a little.

"Well I know it was created by the God of Protection, the one who became the first Sage of Courage. The current Sage is descended from him, like the rest of his descendants, the Courage Line. It was made to fight evil, and gets the Power to Repel Evil from the Sages of Earth and Wind."

The Sage of Light nodded.

"That's right, but I must tell you that the Master Sword is more than just a weapon to fight evil. It is an entity in and as of itself, with consciousness and will of its own. If you succeed in reaching Link, succeed in passing his trial, that will not guarantee the sword will accept you. If you have any doubt about following this path in your heart by the time you reach him, it will refuse to be wielded by you. The decision to permit you to wield it is not his to make, he is simply the one who safeguards the sword and the Sages who power it. He also serves as the one who would re-forge it should be sundered again. Only if the Master Sword accepts you will you truly be the one we wait for, and only if it does will Link entrust the Triforce of Courage to your care for the duration of the rest of your life, however long that may be."

Arkai gulped.

"You mean even if I _am_ the one, if I doubt it even the slightest bit when I'm handed the Master Sword I'll fail everyone?"

Rauru nodded solemnly.

"Unfortunately, yes... It is a test of faith and belief that all Heroes to have wielded the Master Sword have faced. Thus far none who have sought the sword have been rejected by it, but I must warn you of the possibility all the same... Link said it _has_ to be that way this time."

Arkai blinked.

"Wait, he told you to tell me? He's spoken to you about me?"

Again Rauru nodded.

"Not directly... He sent one of his Temple Guardians just after Queen Zerana alerted us to your setting out. That Guardian came to me with his instructions on this matter, along with a second message intended for you."

"What? He sent a message for me?!!"

Rauru pulled a small roll of parchment from within one of his sleeves, tossing it over to the stunned youth.

"Here, read it."

Catching it, Arkai flinched as his touch made the seal on the scroll shatter; before unrolling it and then beginning to read.

"_'You who would walk the Path of the Hero, fear not the road that lies before you. So long as you have the will to protect those dear to you, to protect this land of Hyrule and the greater world beyond, you will never lack the resolve to see your task through. You doubt your abilities, your strength, and your courage, but to get even as far as you have you've shown you have a chance to succeed. Trust in the faith of the people, and trust in your desire to save them, and you will face each challenge and overcome it... This is the path of a Hero, one I walked in my own time in my own way. I too held doubts when I learnt what it was I had to face, but my will to save that which I cared about gave me the strength to keep going. It's ok to doubt, to fear, just remember when the time comes just what is it that is most important to you, that which you believe in the most... Fear... or Hope...'_" He lowered the letter to his lap, staring at it thoughtful. "I want to keep hoping I can do this, to believe I can save everyone... Does this mean he really felt the same way back when he journeyed like I am?"

Rauru smiled; a full one rather than a hint of one this time.

"He and I talked a great deal about his journey after he awakened as the Sage of Courage. He spoke of how much some of the things he encountered terrified him, but he kept going because he cared about the people who were depending on him. The Hero of Time, his ancestor, was much the same. I watched as a child thrust into a man's body fought the darkness, risking everything because he believed in what he was doing. Even afterwards, when he was returned to his true time to resume the childhood he'd lost, he was no longer a child in mind and had lost that innocence, but even so he never regretted following the path set before him by the Great Deku Tree. He walked it of his own will, just as you do now, because he cared about the world. No one is forcing you to do this, and for that reason I truly believe that you, like those that have come before you, will make it to the end."

Hazel eyes met blue.

"But I..."

Rauru shook his head.

"There's no need to say anything, I like the rest of my fellow Sages believe in you, and will keep believing in you." He got up and walked over, holding out a hand. "Now give me your right hand." Hesitantly Arkai got up and did as asked, the Sage clasping a broad metal cuff with three symbols engraved on it; a red flame, a blue snowflake, and a golden sun. He let go of the youth's wrist. "That bracelet will grant you the ability to charge your arrows with fire, ice, or light as you will it. As yet you cannot use it, since you do not have the proper bow, but do not worry as you will get one from the Sage of Forest when you visit her." He indicated the door the youth had entered through. "And now it is time for you to depart from here, to head for the Shadow Temple where Impa waits for you. Good luck and gods speed your journey."

Arkai left the man standing beside the altar, walking out of the shine and over to the waiting Anami before hauling himself up into her saddle. That done she set off at a walk, Arkai still thinking over what he'd learnt in this place.

"The Sage of Courage knows I'm doing this, Anami, he knows I'm trying to reach him. He sent a letter to Rauru for me, a letter telling me that it's ok for me to be afraid. Rauru gave me a bracer that gives me the arrow powers everyone talks about the Heroes having, but I can't use them until I get the bow from the Sage of Forest." He frowned. "I didn't have to do anything but listen to what he had to say, it almost seemed a bit too easy." He shrugged. "He said he believed in me though, just like the Sage of Courage does, and that's good enough for me."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: He he, I love implications... It's so fun XD**


	9. A Homecoming Not to Remember

**Alaia Skyhawk: Ooo, family spats ahoy...**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 9: A Homecoming Not to Remember

-

The white mare slowed as she reached the town entrance, dropping from a lope into a gentle stroll as she passed between the pair of stone pillars that marked the border between fields and port. More than a few people turned to see who was coming, and more that a few were shocked to see just who it was sat in the Nayruan's saddle.

Resisting the urge to crouch down in an attempt to become invisible, as he immediately regretted deciding to spend the night here rather than at the nearby Castle Town, Arkai kept his eyes forward as he headed in the direction of one of the better of Nae Lanai's inns... Not the best, as he didn't want aggravate anyone who might think he was lording it over them with his Queen's Writ, but certainly not the worse one either. His eyes fixed on the back of Anami's head, thankful that he'd had the foresight to take his green tunic off and stuff it in his saddlebags, it was with great reluctance that he turned his head to look at the young man who strode over and began to walk alongside.

The man was one of Arkai's cousins, and Yara's brother, and he didn't look too pleased.

"Arkai, where the hell have you been?! We were worried sick after you took off like that! Your father was furious, and still will be. You've been gone for over a month!"

Arkai didn't slow Anami down, though he didn't speed her up either. He'd come here, as stupid as it was, and now was time to face the music. He sighed.

"I just couldn't sit back and do nothing, Rilner, not when what I saw in the mist might have been important."

Rilner looked up at him as if he'd gone mad.

"Not that crap about the eyes again... It was bloody sun glare, accept it!"

Arkai shook his head.

"I'm not the only person who's seen them. Queen Zerana has seen them too, and so has Chieftain Koanli; she told me about it when I spoke with her a week after I left here."

Rilner actually stopped in his tracks, Arkai bringing Anami to a stop.

"You've got to be joking... _You've_ spoken to the _queen?!_"

His shouted exclamation resounded through the street, causing everyone in earshot to stop and stare in shock. Arkai winced again under that regard, dismounting from his horse and keeping his voice low as if to encourage his cousin not to scream at him.

"I'm not... Why else do you think I'm riding one of her Nayruan Runners? This is Anami, and the queen has loaned her to me to ride while I do some things for her. Hasn't she, Anami?"

The mare nuzzled his shoulder in agreement.

"Hnnn..."

She then looked at the gaping Rilner and snorted in disgust, the young man taking a step back before taking hold of Arkai's arm and pulling him down the street, Anami following by virtue of the fact that with a quick twitch on the reins her rider managed to convey to her to go along with it and not kick his cousin's teeth out.

Still pulling Arkai along, Rilner whispered harshly at him.

"What sort of things? What the heck would an idiot like you be able to do for her?"

Arkai did his best not to sound nervous.

"Oh, just a few errands... She asked me to go to a few places and pick up a few things along the way... Nothing much."

Rilner scowled.

"Bull shit, Arkai! She has trained messengers and couriers to do that sort of thing! Why the hell would she ask a twit like you to do it?"

They were getting close to the inn Arkai had been heading for, and it was with a fair bit of relief that he pulled free of his cousin and led Anami straight into the small stable yard by the side of it. As soon as a porter came over, he pulled the Queen's Writ from inside his tunic and showed it to him.

"I need a room for tonight along with an evening meal, breakfast, and a stall for my horse for the night. She'll need grain and cool, but not cold water; she'll also need to be brushed down. Everything will be paid for by the crown."

The porter, who had recognised Arkai, immediately began to bustle about to hide his shock.

"Of... Of course, right away! Henre, get over here and get this mare taken to a stall, and make sure it's the best one!"

Arkai took his bags and other gear down from Anami's saddle, slinging them over his right shoulder and following the porter as a stable hand led the mare into the stable. Rilner followed him, and as soon as he'd been shown to a room and the porter had left Arkai closed the door and dumped his bags on the floor.

"Look, what I'm doing doesn't matter. I'm only here for tonight so please don't make a scene over all this!"

Rilner had been shocked before, but now he was almost apoplectic.

"You have a Queen's Writ?!! I don't believe it, you must have stolen it or something!"

Arkai held it out to show him it.

"Read it if you don't believe it's mine... She put my name on it before she spelled it with the Triforce of Wisdom, so it couldn't be tampered with and so that those who set eyes on it sense right away that it's genuine."

Rilner snatched it from Arkai's hand, only to drop it when the piece of parchment blazed and scorched his fingers a little.

"What the?"

Arkai picked it up with a sigh.

"She also spelled it so that only the one it's meant for can hold it. Anyone who tries to steal it will get what you just got... I told you, I really am running some errands for her."

Rilner pointed to the sword hilt pointing over Arkai's shoulder.

"Yeah right! She'd kit out an apprentice sailor with a sword, shield, chainmail, new clothing, one of her Nayruans, all the tack and gear, and a Queen's Writ... all just to run errands? Get real, tell me the truth!" He then pointed to the handle of the clawshot, which was visible beneath the bottom of the shield where it had been hung from a clip on the Arkai's belt. "And what the heck are you doing with that? No one uses clawshots but Heroes!"

It was official, Arkai wanted the ground to swallow him... There was no avoiding it now though, as Rilner had spotted too much that raised questions.

"I uh... I got that from Lady Ruto, the Sage of Water, when I visited her just over two weeks ago... I uh... The queen asked me to do the Pilgrimage of Sages, to find out if I'm the one the Sage of Courage was talking about in the message he left on the door of his temple six years ago... She thinks I am, and so do the Sages, so each of them will be giving me a different tool or weapon when I go to see them. I have to earn them though... Lady Ruto had me dodging huge balls of water for ten minutes before I figured out what she wanted me to do."

He was now visibly cringing, Rilner staring for a moment before grabbing his cousin by the arm again and dragging him from the room. They passed the porter on the way out of the inn, the agitated young man calling out as he passed.

"Arkai's just going to go see the rest of the family, he'll be back in a few hours." He continued out into the street, hauling his now resisting cousin in the direction of the young man's home. "This is a load of crap! The queen is an idiot for thinking you're the one! Uncle is going to hear about this!"

Arkai gave up struggling, instead running alongside as Rilner picked up the pace.

"She's not an idiot! If you had any idea how worried she is about this kingdom and its people you'd know she'd _never _take a risk sending me out like this if she wasn't sure!"

Rilner ignored him, and just a couple of minutes later found them entering the quadrangle in the middle of the homes owned by Arkai's father and two uncles. Their family was a long time sailing clan, with two thirds of all those born to it serving on a ship at some point in their lives. The three brothers that headed the clan also all had several children, and so in the space of ten minutes about twenty people, half of the family in the town, were standing around a very anxious Arkai.

As he stood there, a man emerged from the centremost of the three houses and strode over.

"So you've come back, Arkai, after humiliating your family by charging off like an idiot when the Town Council told you to stay!" He glared. "Where have you been for these past five weeks?!"

Rilner gave his cousin a small shove as he spoke with distain.

"He said he went to see the queen, and that she's asked him to do the Pilgrimage of Sages to find out if he's the Hero the Sage of Courage said would come to fight the Dark Mist. He's got a Queen's Writ, a real one since the queen spelled it to be recognised, and she's even loaned him one of her Nayruan Runners. He even says he's been to Lake Hylia to see Lady Ruto already."

Arkai chose that moment to point something out.

"I've been to see Lord Rauru as well."

"I wasn't asking you!" Arkai flinched as his father's shout echoed through the quadrangle, the man continuing. "This is unbelievable! You, Arkai, are not going anywhere! I'm going to send a letter to the queen about this, this is nonsense! She's a complete and utter fool!"

Something seemed to snap inside Arkai, at some point between his father implying he was a weak, useless idiot, forbidding him from continuing his journey, and his insulting the queen. He spoke, his voice barely loud enough to hear.

"She is _not_ a fool... and you're not stopping me from going anywhere..."

He reached behind his back with his right hand, sliding it into the clawshot's grip and pulling the weapon out so quick those around him didn't realise what he was doing until it was too late. The claw shot out, grabbing onto the wooden bar that framed the top of the open gate, before the retracting chain hauled Arkai out from the relatives surrounding him. A flick of the latch he'd found after a few days' practice opened the claw as he reached the bar, letting him drop to his feet and set off down the street. He didn't run... in his anger only the demons of hell would have a chance of stopping him from returning to the inn.

He heard several of his cousins running up behind him, as he put his clawshot away and reached for his shield. The next second found three of them on the cobbles nursing broken noses after having said shield rammed into their faces. The remainder kept their distance, confused by the starkly different Arkai from the one who had left Nae Lanai those weeks before. Where the hell did he learn to fight light that?

The scuffled drew the attention of the nearby town guard, Arkai's father calling out to them.

"Don't let him get away! The Council told him to stay put but he ran off, don't let him leave again!"

The guards began to rush over spears and swords at the ready to 'persuade' Arkai to come quietly, even several sailors charging up to lend a hand. Eyeing them as they closed in, the potential hero sighed.

"So much for keeping a low profile... Please don't let Taran kick me for this the next time I see him..."

He drew his sword, making a dash towards the largest cluster of guards. Steel clanged on steel as weapons went flying, armour straps cut to make plate metal slide and tangle with severed leather. Next he turned his attention to the sailors, blade cutting belts and clothing, hilt striking chins to send some of them to sleepy land. About twenty seconds after his father had shouted, Arkai was stood in the middle of a ring of disarmed guards, comatose sailors, and several more that were having to hold their trousers up to preserve their modesty.

As he sheathed his sword and returned his shield to his back, nearby his cousin gaped with a mixture of shock and awe.

Rilner blinked.

"No... way... Where the hell did you learn to fight like that? Before you left here you'd never so much as _touched_ a sword!"

Arkai turned to look at him, the guards keeping their distance.

"The Queen's Champion, Taran, gave me a lesson, made me memorise a load of high level practice drills, and told me to practice them every day... Of course I didn't _know_ they were high level until I ended up unable to avoid a sparring match when I was in Hylienalis, and completely flattened the local sword master who'd challenged me... Taran must have spotted I had a talent for the sword, but kept me in the dark so I wouldn't become overconfident." He sighed and turned his back on his family. "It's like I said back at the inn, I wasn't the only one to see the Eyes in the Dark Mist; Queen Zerana has seen them as well. That's why she's asked me to do what she has, to complete the Pilgrimage of Sages and learn if I really am meant to be the Hero the Sage of Courage spoke of. I'm not sure if I really am, but I promised her I'd try and that's all anyone can really expect of me; to try my best. So I don't care what any of you think, I'm going to keep going because if I don't try I'll never know!"

He strode away back towards the inn, stepping over one of the napping sailors as he went, while behind him his family watched him go in stunned silence.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The next morning saw him ride out of town, wearing his green tunic this time... He'd even gone so far with the image to wear the hated green hat. No one had tried to stop him, and his relatives were conspicuous in their absence, but even so he could have sworn at one point that a slightly apologetic Rilner had given him a thumbs up from the shadow of an alley. A quick glanced had confirmed it, and Arkai left Nae Lanai feeling a little better after the scene he'd created yesterday. Even if Rilner was the only one of them to wish him luck, it was better than nothing. It took less than an hour to reach Castle Town, Anami slowing from a lope to a trot to move quickly through the crowded streets but not so fast that she might hit someone. It didn't take long to reach where he wanted to go, and glimpse of his Queen's Writ got him in.

Following the guard into the depths of Castle Town's prison, Arkai followed nervously behind him. While not sure this was the best idea, he wanted to do it anyway... He owed Jaran that much at the least...

The guard began to unlock a door at the end of the hallway, a door which had been spelled to block sound. He grimaced as he opened it and disjointed shrieking echoed into the passage.

"I can't understand why you want to see them, but a Queen's Writ commands cooperation in cases where it won't endanger anyone or break the law. I'll give you only ten minutes though, can't see you being able to stand being in there longer than that. Sometimes they become coherent for a while if something surprises them, but it never takes long for them to start that racket again. If they're quiet when you go in then they'll talk, but if they're not you'll be wasting your time."

Arkai walked in, a several pairs of eyes staring at him balefully as previously generalised curses became directed at him in particular. There were twenty-three Changed Ones in here now, seven from Nae Lanai, five from Saiweve, and where the remaining eleven came from he didn't know. He ignored the clawing arms that reached through the bars of the cells, walking along the centre of the cell block until he spotted the person he was looking for, and luckily he was one of the only four who weren't screaming at the moment.

He walked up to the cell, stopping just out of arm's reach of it, his eyes solemn.

"Hey, Jaran, I've come to see you..."

The filthy and unkempt young man in the cell lifted his head, the deep shadows beneath his eyes and the gauntness of his face revealing the extent of the toll his condition and confinement were taking on him. His voice was sullen when he spoke.

"...Who are you?"

Arkai frowned a little.

"It's me, Arkai; the 'jib head' with his mind so set on sailing he once left the house wearing two different shoes."

Jaran looked a little confused as he slowly got to his feet and walked up to the bars.

"Arkai? ...Yeah, I remember you... You were there when the mist came in and..." He gasped as if he were in pain, clutching his head before hitting it off the bars several times. "It hurts... It hurts to remember..."

Arkai started to reach out, but stopped. Jaran might be thinking for himself now, but that could change in a heartbeat as he'd witnessed that day the Dark Mist struck.

"I came to tell you that I'm going to do everything in my power to save you and everyone else like you... Can you believe it, the Queen and the Sages think _I'm_ the next Hero. I'm on that journey now, to face the darkness and defeat it. Even the Sage of Courage thinks I'm the one, he sent a letter to the Sage of Light to pass on to me."

The Changed man looked at him, expression muddled until a glimpse of the old Jaran came through and he grinned.

"Well what do ya know... You can do it, you're too stubborn to fail... gyahh!" He dropped to his knees, gasping in pain. Arkai took a step forward, but leapt back as Jaran suddenly flung himself at the bars shrieking. As he backed away Jaran began to curse. "Where do you think you're going you little freak! You worm! Where do you get off locking me in here like this?!!"

Arkai turned and fled, fighting the tears of frustration that wanted to fall from his eyes as the guard locked the door again. He'd seen it now, that the old Jaran was still there beneath the nightmare. As long as he knew that he would keep going, to get that Jaran back.

He followed the guard back towards the exit, thinking about Jaran and the Eyes in the Mist.

_That thing took pleasure from the panic, enjoyed knowing the fear it would sow... Eyes full of malice..._

His eyes narrowed with determination.

_That's what I'm going to call you, master of the Dark Mist... You are Malice..._

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: And so the evil gets a name. Don't think Arkai is going to be a model 'Hero' from now on though... There's still going to be plenty of slapstick humour in the coming chapters XD**


	10. Shadow's Village

**Alaia Skyhawk: It Impa's turn now to torture... I mean 'test' him. He he, time for some more fun XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 10: Shadow's Village

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Kakariko, Village of the Shadow Folk. Home of the Sheikah Tribe since ancient times, this place stood as a monument to the dedication of that race to the Royal Family. Buildings had come and gone, crumbling with age only to have a new one built in its place, but still the people remained here, through all that history had thrown at them in the three thousand years since Impa had founded the village close to the graveyard where by tradition those of her people were buried.

Entering the village, though in size it was more of a town, Arkai led Anami alongside him as he gazed up at the settlement's most famous landmark; the windmill. Like the other buildings here, the windmill had been rebuilt many times over the millennia, but always to the same design. As long as the village was here so would that landmark also remain... It was just the way Kakariko was.

He continued down the paved road from the gate, following a set of discrete signs which pointed the way to the village's sole inn and associated stables, tucked as it was behind a row of shops climbing the hill towards Death Mountain Trail. Quite a few curious people watched him pass, many having the red or purple eyes of the Sheikah, and the typical blond, black, or white hair. Their numbers had increased a great deal over the past five hundred years, though truth be told apart from Impa you'd be hard pressed to find one that didn't have a few Hyllian ancestors in their family tree. Almost everyone living in the village now was registered with the Hyrule Census as being of the Shadow Folk, and for a race that in ancient times barely rose above a population of fifteen hundred, to have a registered population of almost three times that was quite the achievement.

The inn was small, and by the looks of it the innkeeper also owned the shop built between it and the street, as evidenced by an obvious connecting door in the main room of the guest house. Showing his Queen's Writ got him a room and a meal right away, the owner taking advantage of Arkai being the only guest, and it being past closing time of the shop, to sit and chat to him for a bit.

Red eyes looked out from beneath short black hair, the man placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his hands.

"So what brings a young man here with a writ from the queen? We don't get many visitors up here, hence why I run a shop as well as the inn, so you're quite the oddity."

Swallowing his mouthful of food, Arkai tapped the edge of his plate with his fork; the quiet calm of the man putting him at ease.

"Pilgrimage of Sages... I saw eyes in the Dark Mist when it struck Nae Lanai, and like a gung ho idiot charged off to Hyrule City to tell the queen after everyone back home said I'd been seeing spots from sun glare. I got chased away from the Castle Gates after I got there, and twenty minutes later as I'm standing down by the docks I get tapped on the shoulder from none other than the Queen's Champion. She'd spotted me from her study window and the Triforce of Wisdom resonated when she set eyes on me. So I get dragged up there, tell her what I saw... and five minutes later I'd ended up agreeing to try and save Hyrule from Malice. I really got thrown in the deep end, with her and all the Sages thinking I could be the one the Sage of Courage was talking about."

He sighed somewhat self depreciatingly... After all he did just portray himself as a guy who accidentally threw himself into a whole heap of trouble. The innkeeper smiled.

"So _you're_ the one Lady Impa said to keep an eye out for. The Temple is too close to the village for her to avoid us entirely without disappearing into the depths of the place, and she's been hanging around near the temple entrance a lot for the past few weeks. I've seen her on top of the windmill a couple of times too, staring south towards the road to Castle Town." He tilted his head, his chin still resting on his hands. "Sounds like you've had a rough time though. The road give you any trouble?"

Arkai shook his head.

"Not really. I've gotten used to riding after doing it for over a month, and none of the bandits I've fought could compare to the fracas I caused back home in Nae Lanai when I passed through." A raised black eyebrow implied a question, and the potential hero answered. "I uh, was a bit of an idiot before I left there to see the queen; the kind of guy who likes to have a bit of fun but also tends to get himself into trouble. When my family found out what I was doing they flipped and tried to stop me from leaving again... and I ended up disarming several of the town guard, knocking out four sailors, and broke the noses of two of my cousins and one brother when I punched them in the faces with my shield..."

The ebon haired man began to laugh, thumping his fist on the table.

"Now _that_ would have been a sight to see, and if you don't mind me saying you don't seem that bothered by it."

Arkai cracked a smile now, thinking back with amusement.

"Well ok, I admit I enjoyed seeing the looks on their faces. I was just so _sick_ of them treating me like I was useless after I'd already been to two Sages. Impa will be my third, and I have to go up the mountain after that. After Lady Ruto threw huge balls of water at me, I just have to wonder what the others will do."

The innkeeper began to tap his fingers on the table.

"If it's any consolation we Sheikah aren't the type to engage in direct combat. We're masters of secrecy, of concealing out actions and movements. Most likely Lady Impa will do something involving deception or illusion. You'll just have to see your way through it."

Arkai shrugged.

"Well it could be worse, I suppose." He sighed. "Anyways, I'd best get some rest if I'm going to go see her in the morning."

The innkeeper watched him get up, before commenting as the youth headed for the stairs to his room.

"Give yourself a lie in... The Graveyard is no place to go when the shadows are long."

Arkai stopped in his tracks, a feeling of dread descending on him as he looked back over his shoulder.

"I have to go through the _graveyard?_"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Eyes flitting from one tombstone to another, Arkai hurried down the twisting path which wound through the vast field of monuments to the dead. The place was easily a quarter of a mile long and just as wide, and the innkeeper had informed him that the temple was _right_ at the back behind the tomb belonging to the Royal Family... Oh joy...

Heart pounding as every little noise make him flinch, he kept reaching for his sword only to resume biting his fingernails... That is until the sound of creepy giggling came from behind him.

He slowly turned, looking back to find a trio of poes sneaking towards him with obvious intentions.

"Yeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

He took off across the graveyard at a speed any foot race enthusiast would have been awed by. Sprinting madly towards the huge Triforce emblazoned monolith he could see two hundred metres away, he didn't stop until he'd skidded to a stop and ducked behind it, the poes muttering in disgust once they realised he was too close to the temple to 'play' with now. He heard them leave and sighed with relief, before taking a look at his next obstacle... the cliff at the rear of the graveyard.

Rubbing his hands together he prepared to climb, jumping up as far as he could and grabbing on to the first hand hold he could... or at least that's what he tried. Like a snail he slithered down the flat rock and earth, landing on his rear with a thud when he overbalanced backwards and tipped away from the wall. With a frown he got up and tried again, not jumping this time and instead just starting off in a slightly less speedy manner... Six tries later he _actually_ made it up...

Nursing several scrapes and a dozen bruises, Arkai stumbled over to the consecration stone and stood on it, Impa walking out of the tunnel that descended into the ground a short distance away.

She regarded him for a moment before speaking.

"Welcome... I am Impa, the Sage of Shadow."

The potential hero looked at her over his bruises, far from amused.

"Haven't you ever heard of _stairs?_"

She glanced past him, to where the earth they were currently standing on ended in a fourteen foot drop to the burial grounds below.

"Yes actually, I have... I never bothered adding any since besides my fellow Sages no one usually tries to come up here. The redeads and poes in the temple put them off." She paused. "Those and the giant walking hands... The Hero of Time always did hate those things with a passion. Especially when the little ones would latch onto him and try to squeeze the life out of him. It got so bad that he'd blast them with Din's Fire as soon as he saw them."

Arkai was now seriously creeped out and staring at her like she'd lost the plot.

"Um... _test_... You're supposed to give me something now that I've got here, and test me so I can earn the right to leave with it..."

The white haired Sage regarded him blandly.

"Very well, if you're in that much of a rush." She tossed him the item that appeared in her hand... What looked like a magnifying glass but for the fact it was purple with three extra prongs on top, and the lens looked like a slit pupiled eye. "That is the Lens of Truth... This evil that corrupts, the master as yet not seen in its entirety in the black mists, deception and concealment are two weapons it clearly wields. That lens, when looked though, will show the viewer the truth of what is before their eyes, though it will consume some of the user's magical energy as they do so."

Arkai seemed to freeze, before going into a panic.

"But I don't have magic!"

She continued to stare at him blandly, the fingers of her right hand tapping her left arm as she stood there with her arms now folded.

"All people have the potential for magic, though only those with the will ever find and master it. That is what you are here to do, find the magic within... for without it you cannot use the arrow powers that Rauru gave you."

Arkai's jaw dropped open.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" She shook her head and he began to curse. "Crap, I _thought_ that sounded too easy when he just handed me that bracer!"

Impa gave him a small smile.

"When you can see though my illusions and hit me, only then can you leave with the Lens of Truth. Time to start searching for that magic."

She uncrossed her arms and flung something at the ground, a blinding flash making him squint before with shock he found no less than _ten_ of her circling him. Still cursing he brought the lens up to one of his eyes, peering through it desperately as the many images of Impa kept darting about making it impossible to keep track of them all. One of them darted at him from behind, delivering a push that sent him stumbling. He turned to try and see where it went, but lost sight of it when one of the others ran at and passed right through him. In the minutes that followed he got thumped and pushed several more time, and even got a sharp flick to his ear which had him swearing.

Muttering under his breath he kept trying to draw out the power Impa insisted he should have, a burst of irritation as the copies continued their dizzying dance suddenly caused his view of them through the lens to flicker. His eyes widening, he grasped at the feeling that had gone through him in that moment, managing to call it up again although it was far from completely stable. He used his madly flickering view of them to check the figures surrounding him, finding that not one of them was real. Searching his surroundings as the pull of the lens on his just awakened magic began to make him sleepy, he finally spotted Impa just before she used her power to give him another illusory shove.

Glaring as he lowered the lens, he stooped down to pick up a piece of loose rock and threw it at the point where he now knew the invisible Sage was standing. The rock stopped mid air, Impa appearing with it in her hand.

He waved the lens at her.

"_Happy?!_"

She jumped down and dropped the rock, regarding him.

"Yes, that will do... Although unless you practice with that thing you're magic reserves will remain too small to be of much use."

He tucked the lens inside his tunic, to where a previously baffling pocket with a rounded bottom lay. After holding the lens, it was pretty obvious Queen Zerana knew what sort of things he might find himself possessing, and had his clothing made with them in mind, like the row of clips on the back of his belt which one of currently had his clawshot hung from it.

"Why am I not surprised?" He sighed. "Well then I'll be off... That damn lens has made me feel like I haven't slept for a week."

That solemn expression didn't so much as flicker as the next words left Impa's mouth.

"That's fine... Though you _do_ realise though that you have to go back through the graveyard to return to the village, don't you?"

Arkai went pale before turning slowly to look out at the sea of stone monuments... several poes waving at him in the distance.

"Um... Would you mind walking me back to the village?"

Again a tiny amused smile... The Sage of Shadow it seems having a strange sense of humour.

"Certainly, I don't mind that in the least."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehehe, Arkai running away from ghosts screaming like a little girl XD**


	11. Hot Potato

**Alaia Skyhawk: Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Gorons!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 11: Hot Potato

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"Stupid stubborn horse..."

Arkai continued to mutter under his breath as he had since leaving Kakariko yesterday. That morning, as he'd entered the tiny stable beside the inn, Anami had refused point blank to budge so much as an inch. No matter how much he'd tried to convince her, it became blatantly clear that she wasn't going to go _anywhere_ near the road up Death Mountain. The innkeeper had come in shortly after that, after Arkai's swearing and pleading for her to move drew his attention. It was then that the potential Hero got his first kick from good old reality in quite a while, when the innkeeper told him one simple fact...

Horses, even Nayruans, _don't_ like going up the sides of volcanoes... Even ones as tame as Death Mountain.

This was the result, Arkai trudging up the side of said mountain with the minimum of supplies to go up and back carried in a borrowed rucksack. He was understandably pissed off right now, since if she'd carried him he'd have made it up the trail in just a day... Effectively she'd forced him to camp on the side of the mountain last night, and would be forcing him to do so again on his way back down...

His expression looking like a week long thunderstorm, he rounded a bend in the trail where it passed by the now closed Dodongo's Cavern, a new cavern for mining the mineral rich rocks the Gorons ate having been opened some years ago further round the mountain; near to another of the various Goron settlements which could be reached via trails which forked off further down the mountain from the one he was on now. At least he was almost to the city now, going round just one last bend ahead before he finally saw the huge open ended cavern that formed its entrance. He couldn't see any of the Rock Folk moving around outside, but then if he weren't so high up right now it would have been barely light enough to see where he was going. It was late, and right now he just wanted to find a place to sleep and leave off worrying about going to the temple until morning.

He sighed as he walked the last hundred yards, hitching his heavy bag a little higher as he passed under the wooden arch that fronted the tunnel which bore into the side of the mountain from the back of the entrance cavern. The tunnel was dark, just the flicker of torchlight at the end for him to see by. The floor of it was flat though, with nothing lying around that he might trip on, and so he made it without mishap to the cavern beyond.

He stopped and stared in awe at the sight, just as he'd done back at Hylienalis. To say the cavern was immense was an understatement, it had to be at least a mile to the far side, and it went down easily half that in a series of terraces like concentric rings. The entrance was right on the top level, the roof of the cavern not all that far above him, and looking down into those depths and seeing the countless Gorons moving about caused the feeling of adventure to rise up in him again despite his still being annoyed with Anami.

"Oooo! A visitor! Welcome, welcome, welcome!" He turned as a Goron with a very wide happy grin on his face came charging over, reaching out and shaking the youth's hand so vigorously that Arkai was almost lifted off the floor by it. The Goron continued to smile. "Welcome to Goron City! Are you the one Big Brother Darunia is waiting for?"

Prying his hand free of the cheerful fellow's grip, Arkai winced a little in pain before nodding.

"Yeah, I'm Arkai. I've come here to visit the Fire Temple and receive an item from him." Before the Goron could offer anything he added. "Look, I'm really tired right now from hiking up the mountain, and it's really late besides. Is there somewhere I could sleep for tonight, and go to the temple tomorrow?"

The Goron nodded eagerly.

"Yes yes, come with me! We have a room ready for Big Brother's special guest!"

He turned and trotted away, glancing back and waving for Arkai to follow. The youth did so, a small smile tugging at his mouth; the Goron too cheerful for him to remain annoyed while in the happy fellow's presence.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Frowning with concentration, hands holding a piece of slightly stale bread, Arkai kept his gaze fixed on it as he drew a thin thread of his new magic to his fingertips. As Impa had told him to, he'd been practicing in the two days since he'd awakened it but had decided on a more novel way of doing so than having the Lens of Truth give him a migraine. His frown vanished into a grin as he reached out with one of his hands for the lump of cheese he'd cut for himself from the block in his pack, leaning back comfortably against the back of the chair which besides a huge cushion for a bed and a small table was the only piece of furniture in the small cave he'd was in; it would go perfectly with the chunk of now toasted bread he held in the other.

He chuckled.

"Magic beats a campfire any day. Sure it's tiring, but then so is looking for firewood."

He continued to munch on his breakfast, in a considerably better mood than yesterday courtesy of a soft bed and the warm cave, unlike the cold windy mountainside and a sleeping bag of the night before. His meal finished, he donned his gear and stuffed another piece of bread into a pouch to hang from his belt. He'd been told by his guide the night before that once out of the city it was a four hour round trip to the temple, so taking something for a snack was probably a good idea.

He walked out of the cave, finding a Goron already waiting there for him to emerge. That Goron then, just as cheerfully as the one last night, led him down through a maze of tunnels, ramps, and stairs until they reached the very bottom of the city and the huge door that led to the cave where the leader of the Gorons made his home. The tunnel within was a short one, and soon Arkai found himself standing before the Chieftain of the Goron Tribe himself.

The chief inclined his head as the Hyllian youth entered, deep blue eyes thoughtful in that broad face as he stood before a large block of stone carved to resemble one of residents of this mountain city.

"I trust you slept well and aren't hungry. We'd have gotten food for you from Kakariko if we'd had more notice of your coming, but Lord Darunia only spoke to us of you the day before yesterday. I'm a little disappointed in him that he said nothing until it was too late, since we Gorons place great importance in the proper welcoming and care of guests."

Arkai smiled, finding in this first proper encounter with the Rock Folk that he liked them a great deal. Before now he'd only ever seen them at a distance during visits to Castle Town.

"It's ok, I came prepared with food anyway, although I doubt what I had is as nice as what you would have had prepared. Maybe Lord Darunia held off telling you about me so that I'd have to make do with what I had. Heroes are supposed to be able to deal with hardship anyway, and that's what my being here is about, to learn if I really have what it takes to be one."

The chieftain smiled and nodded.

"What you suggest is likely true, and the journey to the Fire Temple will certainly test your nerve." He brought a hand to his chin and tapped his fingers against the length of rock-like beard there thoughtfully. "You strike me as being still rather unsure of yourself, but you're learning many lessons from your journey. Serious lessons, true, as your mission is an important one... but perhaps you need as yet to learn to enjoy the trials you face a little more. Trials are not a burden to be shouldered for a time and then cast aside once complete, they are a challenge that should be relished and thought back on once you have overcome them. He who sees the hardships ahead as something to be detested is an individual who will never truly learn the lessons that trial would have taught to him. See them as a challenge, and you will grow stronger for having overcome them."

Arkai stood there as the words sunk in, mulling them over.

"Perhaps you're right. Up until now I've been facing trials and thinking about how I could be too weak to pass them, instead of thinking about what strengths I already have and how I can use them. It's something for me to remember."

The chieftain walked over to a low table to one side, lifting a bundle of dark red cloth from it.

"And it's a wise man, or at least a sensible one, that will acknowledge that." He tossed Arkai the bundle. "That's what has long since been nicknamed a Fire Tunic; it's made of Drake Gorse fibres woven as cloth, and will ward off most of the heat within the crater. Time I think for you to go make that visit you're here for." He turned and grabbed the statue that had been behind him, hauling it forward by a couple of feet. He then gestured to the tunnel revealed to be behind it. "That passage will take you into the crater itself, and I will leave it open until you return. There are Magic Bean plants which will carry you to the temple, simply step onto the one in each pair that is closest to your destination and you will get there just fine."

Arkai unfolded the tunic and pulled in on over his clothing after removing his belt and other gear before fastening everything on again over the top of the garment. He then gave the chieftain a nod of thanks before heading into the small passage behind the statue.

It was dark in the tunnel, so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Instead he trailed his fingers along the wall to keep his bearings, and kept moving for what seemed like an eternity until a rectangle of red light appeared in the distance. He must have walked for a couple of miles in the darkness before he emerged into the crater, the sheer size taking his breath away as surely as he heat would have if he'd not been wearing the Fire Tunic.

He walked towards the edge of the ledge he was on, just able to make out one of the two peaks which he knew from stories of this place stood in the centre of the crater either side of the plateau where the entrance to the Fire Temple lay. Between him and that distant mountain-within-a-mountain was almost thirty miles of bubbling lava and jagged columns of rock jutting up from the fiery lake below.

He looked around, soon spotting a patch of green which certainly wasn't normal for such a place. Sure enough it was the plant he'd been told to look for, growing within a sheltering ring of twiggy bushes with tiny red leaves. Arkai stepped onto it, dropping to a crouch with surprise and grabbing on to the broad rigid leaves poking through a rough net of rope like his tunic as the whole plant rose up from the ground and began to glide through the air over the lava below.

Holding on for dear life as the speed it was moving at made hot wind blow against his face, Arkai did everything he could not to panic and imagine what would happen to him should he fall off the thing. After about ten minutes he realised it was heading for one of the rock columns he'd seen, a ring of Drake Gorse growing around its perimeter sheltering a pair of the same plants as what he rode on now. It slowed down to a walking pace, gliding over the top of the pillar allowing him to drop off. The chief hadn't been joking when he'd said getting to the temple would test his nerve. Arkai was just about to step with dread onto the new plant closest to the middle of the crater when something else the chief had said came back to mind.

He frowned.

"Hmm, I could ride on these things and pretty much crap myself all the way to the temple... or I could look at the fun side of it and actually enjoy myself." He turned to look towards the barely visible peak, which as yet didn't seem to have gotten any closer. "Hmm, I could look at it as flying over lava with certain death should I fall, or look at it as _flying_ which is something Hyllians never experience unless they get a ride from a Rito."

He stepped onto the next plant, crouching down to grip the leaves as he had last time, but this time grinning as it picked up speed and the hot wind stirred his clothing once more.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

It was a whoop that signalled the final Magic Bean's descent towards the plateau between the two peaks, a certain Hyllian actually half stood up on top of it with his arms out to the sides for balance. With a wide grin he jumped from it as it glided low enough to the rock for him to do so, and it was then that he ran over to the nearby consecration stone with such a feeling of sheer elation and adrenaline that he didn't give a damn what the Sage of Fire might throw at him. He was too amped up for it to bother him in the slightest.

Sure enough as soon as he's set foot on it the resident Sage appeared, the large and proud looking Goron striding over carrying a rather hefty looking hammer.

He raised a rocky eyebrow.

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself... Not many people would think flying over a lake of lava was a good thing."

Arkai chuckled, blushing a little as he scratched the back of his head.

"So did I when I used the first one, but then I figured I should look at the positive side of it. After all flying is flying, and not many Hyllians get to do that."

Darunia smiled.

"And so the cautious youth who set out on his journey has learned to be a little more bold. Very well, time for me to find out how you can handle this." He held out the hammer. "This is the Megaton Hammer, a treasure of my people and once wielded by the Hero of Time. It's heavy but not impossibly so, so you shouldn't have too much trouble swinging it in the meantime before you go and see Sage of Spirit." Arkai accepted the hammer, eyes widening a little as he had to brace himself to keep hold of it. Darunia then backed up. "Now let's see if you can figure out how best to use it in this situation."

He curled up into a ball and rolled away at breakneck speed, Arkai leaving the consecration stone to stand some distance away on the flat rock of the plateau. He wasn't about to fight using the hammer in a place where one wrong step off the edge of the stone could cause a fall or a sprained ankle. Hazel eyes then began to track the Sage's movements, as he headed for one of the two peaks only to turn sharply just before hitting it and head straight for the Hyllian.

Arkai jumped to the side and rolled clear, swiftly getting to his feet as he began watching Darunia again. Again the Goron made a sharp turn just before his course would have him strike rock, and again he came right at Arkai. This time after dodging, the Hyllian swung the hammer up, over, and then down to pound the ground. The shockwave swept outwards, causing the rolling Goron to lift off the ground for a moment before landing again.

He turned again, making another attacking charge, Arkai smiling to himself as he put together the pieces of the puzzle. He dodged again and waited, waited for the Sage to come at him one more time. This time he didn't roll clear, instead sidestepping just enough for him to swing the hammer down, under, and then up with every ounce of strength he could muster.

It hit the Sage dead on, sending him soaring through the air and straight at the left of the two peaks. He uncurled mid air, staring down at Arkai in shock as he rubbed at the back of his head.

"That wasn't what you were supposed to do!"

Arkai grinned up at him.

"I know, you wanted me to make you fail on one of your turns so you'd hit the base of one of the peaks... I just decided to be a little more 'direct' in my approach to solving the problem."

Darunia blinked for several seconds before bursting out into laughter.

"Now that's a good one! Hahaha! I don't care that you didn't do what I wanted, a bold move like that deserves a reward. You pass, take the hammer with you."

Still cracking up with laughter Darunia vanished in a flare of red light, leaving Arkai holding his prize. He turned it over in his hands, mulling over where to put it until he saw the small twisted wire loop just where the grip stopped and the rest of the short handle began. A little bit of modification later, by using his magic to permanently fuse one of the removable clips from his belt to a point on his sword sheath just to the right to the larger hook that held his shield, and he had the hammer hanging with it's head down-over down the middle of his back underneath the defensive tool.

Feeling the whole set up shift a little unsteadily as he headed for the Magic Bean just a short way away, he frowned a little and made a mental note to ask the Gorons if they could make something a bit more substantial.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Arkai turned the new sheath and belt over in his hands, examining the metal chain fastenings that held the sheath to the belt in no fewer than five places along the cover's length; keeping it secure at its angle but still giving the strap the flexibility for him to move. He also paid special attention to the trio of clasps placed so they would be spread in a horizontal line when the sheath was at an angle across his back. The middle one was the largest, extending out far enough to protrude past the handle of the hammer when he had it hanging from the hook on the right. The one left of the shield hook he'd asked for to hang the bow he'd be getting next from, and all three were like the clips on his belt, which wouldn't release that which was hung from them unless it were lifted in the right way... With all the dodging he suspected he might end up doing, a little precaution to prevent him losing things in the process was a smart thing to do.

Smiling in approval he put the sheath on, sliding his sword into it and then hanging both shield and hammer from the intended clasps. With everything in place he grabbed the handle of the hammer where it protruded just to the right of his neck above his shield, and without too much effort was able to unhook and slide it out without the shield getting in the way.

He turned to the pair of Goron craftsmen that had obliged to his request for a little help.

"It's great; I'll have no trouble getting to everything with this thing on. Thanks for your help."

Both of them beamed at him with the typical broad grin of their race.

"No problem!"

"It was an honour!"

It was a short while later that he walked out of the city and set off down the mountain, in a good enough mood that camping outside on the way down or not, he wasn't going to be that annoyed with Anami once he got back to Kakariko.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Swings Megaton Hammer like a golf club) FOUR!! ...Hehehehehee. As for what Arkai had done to his sword sheath and belt, I **_**have**_** actually come up with a way all the weapons and tools he'll get can be carried on his person but still be easy to get at in a pinch. I'll post a pic of it once I've got something a bit better than a rough sketch.**


	12. Visit to a Ranch

**Alaia Skyhawk: Time for Alana and Taleen again :D**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 12: Visit to a Ranch

-

The sound of thundering hooves echoed through the still air, the heads of those working in the nearby fields turning to see a gold and white mare charging down the road to the ranch at a full gallop, her rider half crouched in the saddle as he urged her on with a grin on his face. The man in the saddle saw them, standing up in his stirrups to wave at them before suddenly overbalancing backwards and scrambling to grab the saddle so as not to fall off. He managed... just... and continued down the road with the smile still on his face.

Like his other trips along the roads of the mainland, Arkai had had little to deal with other than a trio of would-be bandits who'd legged it as soon as the youth had unhooked his new hammer. It had just been day after day of rising with the sun, riding for several hours, and then setting up a camp before going through his rapidly increasing routine of practice. Sword, clawshot, magic, and now hammer, he'd drop into his sleeping bag each night and be asleep in seconds. As hard on him as all the traveling and practice had been, his slowly increasing confidence wasn't the only changes. Life in a seaport might have made him physically fit, but this journey was honing that fitness and his body into that of a warrior strong enough to be the awaited Hero. It was something he hadn't really noticed, it having been happening so gradually, but it was happening all the same and continued with every passing day.

He slowed Anami down to a walk as he reached the large ring of stone wall that surrounded the main buildings of Lon Lon Ranch, stopping her and dismounting once he found himself on a track between a very large wood-framed house on his left and an extensive collection of stables on his right. Standing there waiting, it tool all of about ten minutes for a nearby ranch hand to race off to tell a certain red head of his arrival and for said red head to come charging from the grain storage beyond the ranch's nursery paddock.

Alana skidded to a stop and broke out into a wide grin.

"Arkai! Hey, you made it all the way down here, how's the Pilgrimage going?"

He grinned back.

"I've been to Lake Hylia, the Shrine of Light, Kakariko Graveyard, and Death Mountain Crater... Four down four to go; I'll be getting a bow from the Sage of Forest next, or at least that's what Lord Rauru said I would get from her when I saw him a while back."

The ranch girl tilted her head.

"You've been getting things from the Sages?"

He nodded, looking a little bemused.

"Yeah, and they tested me before letting me leave with them... Well all except Lord Rauru, I found out when I went to the graveyard that I can't even use what he gave me until I have the bow. I've had huge balls of water thrown at me, been harassed by illusions, and got to shock Lord Darunia by booting him through the air with the hammer he gave me. It wasn't what I was supposed to do, but he liked my boldness in doing it so he passed me anyway."

Arkai was smiling again by this point, Alana smiling as well.

"You've changed a lot since we parted ways, Taleen is barely going to recognize you. Do you want to go see her? She's down checking on one of our herds of Malonian Runners today."

In answer he pulled himself up into Anami's saddle as the Nayruan whickered. Seeing this Alana ran off again, coming back a few minutes later on the back of her Eponasian.

She urged her mare into a gallop as Anami took off after her with a laughing young man on her back.

"Come on! I'll show you how to jump the fences on the way there if you like!"

Arkai's eyed narrowed at the thought of something new, a challenge.

_Well I could look at it as a chance I could fall on my butt and look like an idiot, or a chance to learn something new... I think I'll go with the latter._

He nudged Anami, urging her to go even faster.

"Sure!"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

It was a rather startled blond haired woman who turned to see two horses, red and gold, charging down the track towards the immense fenced off area that housed the Malonian Runners. She was even more startled when the man on the back of the Nayruan got her to turn and leap over the aforementioned fence instead of taking her to the gate and entering the field that way. The woman on the Eponasian followed him, both of them flushed with exhilaration as they dismounted and walked over, leaving the two mares to graze.

Arkai waved.

"Hey, Taleen! Long time no see!"

Taleen blinked in shock.

"Arkai? Whoa, what happened to the nervous guy I met back in Inner South Gate?"

He laughed as he came to a stop in front of her, before looking downwards and scuffing his booted foot through the grass.

"Well I'm still nervous about a lot of things, but I've learned if I let that stop me from doing things I won't learn anything. Basically I've been doing things that I always thought would scare the crap out of me, but after I've done them and made the best of it they aren't that bad."

The Courage Clan woman regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, before suddenly drawing the sword at her waist and taking a swing at him. Without even thinking he drew sword and shield and blocked it, the two of them descending into a full out sparring match in a matter of seconds. Ducking and rolling, blocking and parrying, the dance of steel flowed across the grass until without warning Taleen found her sword wrenched from her grasp as the rattle of moving chain whispered through the air.

Arkai waved the blade clutching clawshot in his right hand, causing her gape. She hadn't even seen him return his shield to his back.

Still gaping for a moment more, she then began to laugh.

"_Nice_ move, Arkai, nice move. Way to use your tools in an inventive way. Where did you get that thing, and come to think of it is that another handle sticking up by your neck?"

Arkai began to chuckle, as he returned his clawshot to his belt and tossed her sword back to her. He then unhooked his hammer from his back and showed her it.

"As I pass each Sage's test they reward me with a tool or weapon. Apparently I'm going to need them all to reach the Sage of Courage should I actually get that far."

Taleen leaned down to get a closer look at the hefty weapon in his grasp.

"I'm glad you didn't hit me with _that_ thing... Megaton Hammer, right?" He nodded and she winced. "Geeze, you'd have sent me flying half way to Castle Town with that thing. It's enchanted to strike with ten times the force it's swung with. In his journals my ancestor, the Hero of Time, commented once on how he got a shock when he swung it while wearing the Silver Gauntlets. He smashed something he only intended to deflect to one side, because the gauntlets magnified the force exerted by his arms and body... He never had the nerve to try swinging it while wearing the golden ones, and always made a point of only wearing them when he needed to move something really big."

Arkai thought this over for a moment.

"I wonder if that's what Lord Darunia meant, when he said I shouldn't have too much trouble swinging it before I go see the Sage of Spirit..."

Taleen began to stare.

"You mean she might be giving you one of the sets of Gauntlets? By the gods, whichever she does give you for heaven's sake take it easy with the hammer after that!"

He winced a little at the thought.

"Yeah, I think I will."

Looking between the pair, Alana chose that moment to speak.

"Well then now that that's settled, how about we head back to the house. Arkai can tell us all about his travels so far, and we can grab a bite to eat before the 'Rabble' finishes work for the day."

'Rabble' being the ranch term for the twelve or so ranch hands that were employed to help run the place, Taleen nodded.

"Sounds like a good idea to me, and I can introduce Arkai to those of my family that live here. It might be interesting for him to get to know more of the Courage Line Clan."

She brought her fingers to her lips and let out a piercing whistle, an Eponasian wearing a saddle trotting over from nearby. The three of them then mounted up, before heading back to the main compound of the ranch at a full gallop, whooping as they jumped the fence and onto the road.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Happy chatter bounced back and forth along the length of the long narrow table; a mixture typical brown hyllian heads, blond Courage Line members, and the copper tresses of the four Lon Lon Family members forming a colorful contrast with each other as the food on the table was devoured amid the gossip regarding their visitor.

Arkai hadn't really said much during the meal, though had listened avidly to the stories going back and forth across the length and width of the table. The majority seemed to be humorous incidents involving horses, or some other kind of livestock, and an individual that did something stupid resulting in some random injury or bruise to their ego. Arkai added a couple of his own involving Anami, namely the tree incident involving his Clawshot ripping him from the saddle, which gained a great many laughs. He was just about to finish the last of the bread he'd been given with the meal when he got a poke on the shoulder.

Taleen leaned her elbow on the table and smiled.

"So, oh brave hero-to-be, where are you going next?"

Arkai smiled back.

"That one's easy... The Forest Haven."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: It's official, the last scene of this has kept me writer's blocked for too long... so I hacked it short... ON TO THE NEXT ONE!**


	13. Child of the Old Woods

**Alaia Skyhawk: Finally out of writer's block induced 'blahg' and into some good stuff :)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 13: Child of the Old Woods

-

The rolling hills and plains of grass were coming to an end, the once scattered areas and clusters of trees becoming larger and closer together with every passing mile along the paved road. Looking around warily, Arkai couldn't help but begin to feel nervous. Something about the increasing closeness of the trees made him feel as though this forest could devour him without a trace, and thinking on this further he then remembered the curse.

He winced.

"That's right, I forgot... Anyone who enters the Forest Haven without permission is turned into a monster... Great, just great..."

Anami slowed to a walk, whickering as she then stopped where the road ended as though cut off by a knife. Just a few meters beyond that the forest went as far as could be seen either side in a solid and imposing wall.

"Hnnn..."

Swallowing hard, Arkai got down from the saddle and tugged on the mare's reins as he moved to head into the trees. Anami however just planted her hooves on the stone of the road and stayed put no matter how much he tugged.

"Dammit, Anami! Come on!"

"Y'know, horses never enter these woods... The terrain isn't exactly ideal for them, and any that did enter would probably end up breaking a leg or something..."

Arkai might have snapped back, that is until his mind registered the small female voice that had come from behind him. He spun around dropping Anami's reins, the mare turning and running off a short way as her rider stared in surprise at the winged ball of light perched on a branch at the forest's edge.

He blinked.

"A fairy? Why?"

With a flutter of wings said fairy shot towards him and stopped in front of his face, now close enough for him to see her green eyes and hair through the aura of light that surrounded her. She was tiny, barely three inches tall, though it turned out her mouth more than made up for it.

She frowned, looking far from impressed.

"Wow..." She pointed to Anami. "If you weren't riding _her_ I'd wonder if you were the one I've been here sat waiting for, for the past few weeks." She crossed her arms and regarded him. "Well, whatever... I'm Navi, Princess of the Forest Fairies and Partnered Fairy to the Sage of Courage. He sent me here to guide you through the forest, since you'd probably go around in circles if I didn't. Not that I'm implying that you're stupid or anything, it's just the nature of these woods to be deceptive." Arkai stared at her, causing her to glare. "What? Why are you looking at me like I just said I was going to conquer and rule the world or something; that was King of Evil's line, not mine."

The potential hero grimaced a little.

"Sorry... You just surprised me when you said the Sage of Courage had sent you to help me."

Navi rolled her eyes.

"And why wouldn't he? He let Saria and the Great Deku Tree know you were coming, so naturally _someone_ would be needed to guide you through the woods, especially the tricky part around the Forest Temple. Rather than bother one of the Kokiri to do it, he asked me since he knew that unlike them I wouldn't get sidetracked. The Children of the Forest are definitely children in that regard; if they get bored, they walk off... A Forest Fairy who promises to wait will do as promised no matter _how_ boring it is... or Queen Tavannia will beat them to a pulp. I may be her sister, but that won't stop her from doing that if I didn't keep my word."

Arkai remained silent for a moment.

"Um, well shouldn't we get going?"

The fairy rolled her eyes.

"Well _yeah_, as soon as you remember to get your supplies off your horse... Though I'm not sure what you're going to do with the saddle, you're going to be in the woods for a few days at least and leaving it on her that long probably wouldn't be too good for her."

"I guess it's good then that _you_ weren't the only one keeping an eye out for him, Navi." There was a soft flare of green light to their left, a Kokiri boy with a somewhat mischievous expression appearing there. He smiled and gave Arkai a half bow. "I'm Makar, the Sage of Wind. As my temple will be the last you visit, and you won't get that far for another five or six weeks, I've come to offer to escort the fine Nayruan Mare Anami to North Port... Which is where you'll be getting dropped off after you've been to Gale Isle."

The potential hero blinked.

"I thought the Sages had to stay close to their temples while I'm doing this."

Makar raised an eyebrow.

"Nah, that's just for convenience. If they're close already they don't have to mad dash there to meet up with you when you arrive. But, like I said, I know my temple will be the last one you visit, so that gives me some time to kill while I wait. I might as well spend it helping out the guy who may be the one to save Hyrule from this new darkness by getting his riding mount to the next place he'll be needing her. So, are you going to take me up on that offer?"

He smiled brightly, nothing in his appearance or attitude giving the slightest indication that this green clad boy was in fact the better part of fifteen hundred years old.

In the silence that followed, Navi muttered in an aside to the Hyllian beside her.

"Just accept, he'll do it whether you say yes or not."

Arkai sighed.

"Ok, and thanks. Just let me get my food and sleeping gear out of the saddle bags." Anami trotted over, nuzzling his shoulder once the items he'd need were slung in a plain cloth bag over it. He then patted her on the nose. "I guess I'll see you again in a few weeks, Anami."

One last nudge and she walked over to Makar, who simply leapt up into the saddle and sent her cantering back up the road. He turned and waved back.

"See you in a few weeks, Arkai!"

Watching them go, Arkai couldn't help but feel a little lonely. He'd spent so much time with the mare the last few weeks that to see her disappearing into the distance sent a jolt through him.

"See you around, Anami..."

Sighing he then turned and walked into the trees, Navi fluttering ahead of him and showing him the way.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"So, um, are all the Kokiri like him?"

Arkai glanced at the fairy now sat on his shoulder, the edge of the forest now just a memory behind them. She'd been rather quiet since they'd passed into the shadows of the trees and that silence was beginning to wear on him a bit.

Sighing, she answered.

"Yeah, pretty much. They're all as friendly as him... except Tido, he's a pain." She glanced at him sidelong from her perch. "A word of warning though, as friendly as he is, he and Saria are different from all other Kokiri in one regard. As Sages both of them remember all of the history they've witnessed and how long it's been since it happened, while other Kokiri will only remember the gist and never how long ago it was beyond ten years or so. I just thought I'd tell you so if they mention something that happened a few centuries ago as if it happened yesterday, you don't get confused. Basically if they say something take their word for it and don't question it, you'll give yourself a headache otherwise. However, if you _do_ want precise dates, discretely ask their partnered fairies; _we_ remember everything right back to when we were born."

Arkai walked in silence for a few minutes, frowning a little disconcertedly at the thought of trying to make sense of the Kokiri if he met any that said something confusing. Eventually his expression became resigned and he sighed.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to take it as it comes." He looked at Navi, still following the path she'd set him on several hours before. "So when were _you_ born?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Why ask? It's not exactly important to what you're here to do."

He shrugged, jouncing her a little in the process.

"Just curious."

She sighed again.

"I wasn't born, I was created... I'm one of the First Forest Fairies, from the hundred or so that were created by Golden Goddess Farore when she and her sisters created Hyrule... Queen Tavannia strictly speaking isn't my sister, but since we blinked into existence next to each other and nowhere near any others we've treated each other as such ever since. Farore spoke into the air around us to lead the Forest Fairies, and as she never specified which of us she was talking to I told Tavannia I wasn't really that interested in the job but would help if she wanted it. Hence she's Queen and I'm Princess."

The potential hero was now gaping.

"You're as old as this _world?!_"

The fairy nodded, grimacing a little.

"Yeah, that about sums it up. There are times though that I wish I wasn't... nothing says 'old' more than some little fairy coming up to you and shouting 'hey there great-great-great-great-great.... on and on and on... grandmother'... I swear my descendants do it to annoy me, and it occasionally gives me the urge to go throttle my ex for my ever agreeing to marry him... It also makes me very glad that a good portion of my descendants don't know who they're descended from, since in those early years we all kinda tossed our kids in together and raised them as a group... I have one descendant that personally I can't stand, though her brother at least has sense enough to keep her in hand _most_ of the time. I met her about five centuries ago for the first time in literally Ages... and I ended up wanting to beat her head off the nearest wall. It makes me glad my sister doesn't know that girl is my great-great-granddaughter, the two of them can't stand each other."

Arkai winced in sympathy.

"Ouch, sounds a bit like some of _my_ family. My cousin Yara is a pain in the neck, but as she's the first daughter of my father's oldest brother we have to put up with her snooty behaviour. Most I can do is snub her when she asks for something, anything more than that and I'd get drudge work around the family compound for a week."

Navi snorted.

"That's nothing, in Forest Fairy society if you do something that's punishable to piss someone off then you can get stuck watching over the Miasmic Swamp area of the forest for several centuries... That place stinks, literally, in the mildew and rotting fungus sort of way."

Arkai cleared his throat.

"We don't have to go near that, do we?"

Navi shook her head, looking as relieved as him.

"No, thank gods. It's south of the Forest Temple, nowhere near the Lost Woods, so we won't even come close to it." She looked around, taking note of the fact that if it weren't for her own light Arkai would have been having trouble seeing his way by now, the light beneath the trees starting to fade into night. "Well it's getting dark, so you should set up camp for the night. I'll keep watch and let you know if anything heads this way."

The Hyllian man went a little pale.

"And what would 'anything' be?"

The fairy shrugged.

"Wolfos, Stalfos, a Poe or two; maybe a couple of mutant plants... Nothing to worry about really."

"Thanks for the reassurance..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"Wow, where did all the trees go? It's still dark down here..."

Hazel eyes looked around through the green tinted gloom that was the norm of the forest, confused at the fact that it was still dim but besides a scattering of smaller trees there were no trunks to explain the huge expanse of greenery and branches suspended high above him. It almost looked like a meadow of sorts, covered in long gently stirring grass through which fireflies drifted to and fro, and also by a myriad of streams that snaked through that grass flowing out into the surrounding forest.

Navi fluttered up from his shoulder, stopping just ahead of him and pointing south and slightly up.

"Squint and you can see his trunk through the gloom from here."

Arkai looked at where she was pointing, eyes narrowing as he peered through the shadows before widening when he realised that he could just make out specs of the sunlight dappling the meadow were also spread over a tree trunk that must have been thick enough to fit several average houses into the space of.

He gaped.

"Is that?"

Navi nodded.

"Yup, that's the trunk of the Great Deku Tree, and all the branches above us now are his. This is the Forest Haven, and the reach of his canopy marks its boundaries. This is where the Kokiri live, all sixteen of them, though Makar and Saria obviously aren't here all the time."

Arkai followed her through the grass as she flew ahead, his passage disturbing several fireflies and causing them to dance away from him before settling to the stems once again. It had taken him a day and a half to walk the irregular and root twisted trails to this place, Navi having told him a lot about the Kokiri during that time, including the reason there were only sixteen of them.

Looking up at the fairy, he frowned.

"Why exactly are we going to him? I thought I was here to see Saria."

Navi gave him a reproving look.

"So you'd enter the forest and not pay your respects to the one who rules over it? Nice manners, Arkai, where did you learn them?"

He winced.

"Ah... yeah, good point. Sorry."

She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever... Anyways, keep your eyes peeled because it won't be long before one of the Kokiri spot..."

"Ooomph!"

She turned just in time to see Arkai disappear into the depths of the long grass.

"...You." She raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Hello Linder, up to the usual tricks I see."

The Kokiri boy grinned up at her from beneath his mop of curly brown hair.

"Hi Navi." He poked the Hyllian man he was still sat on top of. "Who's this?"

A muffled voice came up from the grass.

"My name is Arkai, and I'm here to see the Great Deku Tree and Saria... Now could you _please_ get off my back?"

Linder obliged, his green eyes curious as he watched Arkai get back to his feet.

"You're a Hyllian, like Link." The Kokiri boy jumped on the spot a bit, a fairy with a pale yellow glow drifting down to hover above him. "Link is a nice guy! He came to visit us not that long ago and played games with us! It was fun!" He peered up at Arkai hopefully. "Will you play with us for a while too?"

The potential hero backed up a step.

"Um..."

It was Linder's own fairy that saved the Hyllian, flying over and stopping close enough that Arkai could see the male Forest Fairy's typical green hair and eyes. He then turned and looked at his partner.

"Linder, he said he was here to see Saria and the Deku Tree, so it must be important. Maybe he can come back and play some other time, but this time he can't. Let's go tell the others that the visitor is busy, and then we can go play hide and seek so the Deku Tree can talk to him in private."

Linder smiled brightly.

"Ok! I'll race you there, Rellan!"

He then sped off through the grass, Rellan giving Arkai a reassuring smile before speeding off after him. Watching them go, Navi fluttered down to sit on Arkai's shoulder again.

"That was an example of the Kokiri memory... Link last visited here over a century ago, but the way they remember it it's like last week to them. We should hurry and speak to the Deku Tree. Rellan and the other partnered fairies can only keep them occupied for so long before they'll come investigating you again."

Arkai, taking the hint, broke into a run towards the distant trunk, passing several smaller trees along the way that had distinctly silvered leaves. Eventually he reached the rim of a shallow pond of sorts from which all the streams in the meadow originated, a visible up welling of water off to one side revealing where the water was coming from. Taking a deep breath he stepped into the water and walked out to the huge lily pad that Navi had described to him the previous day, his expression anxious as it rose from the water and brought him up to the eye level of the weathered wooden face on the side of the immense Forest Guardian's trunk.

That ancient face regarded him thoughtfully, before speaking in Archaic Hyllian.

"Well met, Arkai... You've done well getting this far, and proven you truly have the potential to be the one to face the new darkness that haunts Hyrule and the Great Sea."

Arkai blinked for a moment, before hesitantly replying in the same. Pure Hyllian, or Archaic Hyllian as it was now called, was a language not used in day-to-day life. Most people these days spoke the form of it that had come about when the Great Sea's 'common tongue' had merged with the older language, over the course of the first of the last five centuries. All people on the Great Sea could speak and read the original, but it wasn't something they were used to.

He cleared his throat.

"Um, thanks for believing in me. I'm still not sure I'm the one, but I'm willing to try. I just hope I don't fail everyone."

That old face smiled a little, a hint of sadness at a memory showing in his eyes.

"You are so much like the Hero of Time... I inherited the memories of the previous Great Deku Tree, and so can recall the day a young boy stood before him full of uncertainty but also the courage to try his best. I can recall the look on his face as the old Tree told him he was about to wither, the bewilderment as the Kokiri Emerald was bestowed upon him, and the determination to go as asked to the Princess with it, the very act that set him on his path to becoming a Hero. You are no different... Bewildered by what has been placed on your shoulders, frightened by it, but willing to travel that road regardless. It's no small wonder the Sage of Courage spoke highly of your potential in the message he sent with his Guardian, I believe his faith in you is well placed."

Arkai might have been shocked by this revelation of another glowing report from the Sage of Courage if he hadn't already gotten a letter and also word from Navi of the same. Instead taking a deep breath as the small knot of dread at failure in his stomach grew a little bigger, he asked a question that had been on his mind a while.

"What is a Guardian? I've heard it mentioned a couple of times now, by Rauru and now by you... Is it some servant of the Sage of Courage?"

Navi fluttered to hover between Arkai and the Deku Tree.

"Link created six of them, one for each Temple of the Sacred Realm. They stay with him, but if needed can be called on by the Six Sages of the Sacred Realm. They help the Sages basically, but sleep for the rest of the time. Link woke them up just after he sealed the Temple of Courage, and then sent one of them out to spread word to the eight other Sages of your taking up your journey just after you set off from Hyrule City."

Arkai frowned.

"But if he has all those Guardians to help the Sages, why does he need me?"

The Deku Tree spoke solemnly in reply.

"Because there are rules to his and the Sages' power... Link _may _effectively be a Lesser God, having the ability to use the full power of his Temple unlike the other Sages who can use only a fraction, but he cannot act recklessly or the Balance could be disrupted... The Balance was what killed the first Sage of Courage, Kaiayn, when his use of his power to create the Temples caused it to backfire on them and try to destroy them. The present day Sages face the same problem, in that certain requirements must be met in order for the Balance not to react adversely to them using their power on a large scale. If a person arises with the ability to channel their power, a Hero that is, then they can work _through_ them to destroy the greater of dark malevolent creatures and magics that arise in the same time."

Hazel eyes widened as their owner took a step back.

"You mean _I_ have the ability to channel the power of the Sages?!"

The Deku Tree remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"That remains to be seen... Only time will tell if you truly are the one we need." He glanced to the side. "Now if my hearing does not betray me, several of my children are heading this way. Navi, take him into the woods before they find and delay him."

She nodded and grabbed Arkai by a strand of hair as the lily pad lowered.

"As you wish, Great Deku Tree. C'mon Arkai, let's go!"

Biting back a yelp as he was dragged westward towards the edge of the meadow by his hair, the potential hero felt the burden of doubt in his gut deepen further... Just one more thing for him to worry about on this journey.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The Hyllian man winced, as his hair was tugged for what number of times he'd long lost count of. The forest around him looked the same in every direction, each tree appearing the same to the last detail, radiating outwards in a symmetrical pattern that left him at a complete loss as to where he was. The trails on the forest floor, also in a pattern among those trees, did nothing to help as Navi constantly corrected his route as he walked among them.

"Not that way... Go left... Left I said, not straight on! Geeze you're useless at this."

Arkai stopped, closing his eyes to rest them from the bewildering 'sameness' of the forest around him.

"Navi, please stop yelling at me like that. I can't help it; everything looks so similar that I can't even tell how far I'm turning if I turn at all. It would probably be easier if I kept my eyes shut and you just direct me that way."

The fairy sighed.

"And what about the Wolfos? Or have you forgotten that in the past two days you've been attacked by two or three at least five times each day? You need your eyes open, Arkai. Those things are sneaky and you need to be ready to spot them should they attack. Relying on me, when I'm busy as it is keeping track of where we are, would be beyond stupid... The Lost Woods are a lot bigger than they used to be, and the safe path through them more twisted than before. I _can_ tell you we aren't that far from the Forest Temple now, so just put up with it for a little while longer, ok?"

Grimacing, Arkai opened his eyes again and squinted at the mass of identical seeming trees. Gritting his teeth he kept his eyes fixed on one tree while he turned his body to the left, as soon as it was facing the direction Navi had indicated, only _then_ did he turn his head to face forward. He was now staring at path between trees identical to the one he'd faced a moment before.

"Tell me again how you know where we're going..."

He began to walk down the 'new' path, Navi grumbling in his ear.

"I have it memorised, and I'm counting the turns and path junctions as we go. We pass three more junctions in this direction, turn right, one junction, right, four more, then left, then right, and we're there. Just keep walking and stop and turn when I tell you."

That might not have sounded that far, if not for the fact that the distance between each junction of the paths was about a hundred yards. The path she'd just described put him about two thirds of a mile of walking away from the temple, which in these woods would seem like a lot more. Whatever grumbling he might had done he held back and just kept walking, enduring the tugs on his hair as he reached the turns, not even _trying_ to keep track of the path since he'd hopelessly lost track almost immediately once he'd begun walking again. It was thus with some surprise that he stopped in his tracks as mirrored images of trees was suddenly replaced by a walled grove, Navi guiding him through a simple set of passages until a long trench topped on either side with trees was before him. That trench led to a set of stairs, and at the top of those stairs was a courtyard at whose far side a set of stairs rose up to entrance set into the stone block wall of the temple facade.

Looking around in awe he slowly walked over to the consecration stone sat in the short grass between him and those stairs, a Kokiri girl with bright green hair and dancing blue eyes walking out of the temple to stand at their top as he himself stepped upon the stone. Smiling she walked down the stairs, a small gesture causing a bow and filled quiver to appear in her hands. She stopped beside him and held it out, the top of her head barely reaching his chest.

"Hello Arkai, I am Saria the Sage of the Forest Temple." Her smile widened. "This is the Fairy Bow, made by the Forest Fairies long ago to be used by Heroes. The quiver is enchanted, and holds far more arrows than it appears to. I've already filled it completely, and the chances of you having to use _that_ many arrows during your journey are small." She shrugged. "Not to mention they're stronger than normal arrows so it will take a lot to break them. You'll probably be retrieving and reusing as many as you can out of habit since you've been trained with a bow already."

Arkai accepted the bow, clipping the quiver at his right hip and hooking the strap to hold it at an angle to the back of his belt since he had no room on his back for it without it interfering with him reaching his hammer or shield. He plucked out an arrow, expression thoughtful as the number visible sticking out of it remained the same.

"So how many does it hold?"

Saria frowned, thinking it over.

"Hmm, I'm not sure since I wasn't really counting when I made them... I think there's about three hundred in there."

Arkai's jaw went slack as he gaped at her.

"_What?!_ But that's impossible!"

Navi fluttered from his shoulder and poked him on the nose.

"Hate to break it to you, but it's not... I helped Link make that quiver not long after he became the Sage of Courage. He was spurred into it after reading entries in the Hero of Time's journals, where he complained about how much of a pain it was having to top his arrows up so often since carrying more than fifty wasn't practical due to the weight of them. Arrows bought from normal craftsmen can be fired maybe three times fighting monsters before they shatter, if you're lucky, and that's if you're even able to get them back. So when you think how much fighting he did he used a _lot_ of arrows. The Sage of Courage had a similar problem, since he had a fairy-enchanted quiver to hold ninety or so arrows, but it did nothing for the weight of them on his back. He was basically running around carrying the weight of a moderate sized log, not comfortable from what he told me."

Saria tilted her head and regarded the quiver.

"When he gave it to me he said he'd solved the problem by putting the arrows in it somewhere else, placed so that a few would stick out of the quiver at all times. He said something about making a tiny 'pocket realm' just for the arrows, and turning the opening of the quiver into a tiny door into that realm. I know I stuck my hand in there when he gave it to me, and it's roomy in there certainly since I couldn't touch the top of the inside." She waved a hand, a single target appearing between them and the temple entrance. "Well, back to business. I know you can use a bow already, so what test I might have done involving that is pointless. Instead I'm just going to show you how to use those arrow powers Rauru gave you. Aim at the target and draw up a little magic into the hand holding the arrow on the string. Then, just as you're about to release the arrow, use your will to call fire, ice, or light to surround the shaft. Careful with the fire one though, you want the arrow to _carry_ the fire, not be consumed by it. Don't worry about the bow, it's impervious to any damage from any source."

Arkai did as was told, eyes narrowing as he took aim at the target. His frown of concentration deepened as magic shimmered along the shaft, but then turned to shock as the burst of flame he created around it almost singed his eyebrows off. The arrow shot from the bow, hitting the rim of the target despite the jerk on the bow as Arkai had jolted his head back away from it, the flame it carried scorching the circle yet leaving the arrow untouched.

Navi nodded approvingly.

"Nice, you shaped that perfectly... Just a little less magic next time, ok."

The Hyllian tentatively raised another arrow to the bow.

"I think that's fairly obvious... Well let's try that again."

The next fire arrow he left off was perfect, prompting Saria to smile.

"Time for ice, and watch you don't freeze the arrow to your fingers."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: lol, poor Arkai. Ice Arrow stuck to the fingers... that would hurt XD**


	14. Red Lion

**Alaia Skyhawk: Arkai finally gets off the mainland in this one. All hail the open seas!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 14: Red Lion

-

"Well, this is where we part ways, Arkai. My job is done; time for me to return to the Temple of Courage."

Navi actually looked a little disappointed as she hovered in the air, above where a path zigzagged down the cliff to a shelf of rock below; a ship was in the water there with three Hyllian men sat on deck waiting.

Regarding the little fairy that had alternately helped him and poked fun at him for five days, Arkai actually looked a little disappointed as well. Despite being annoying at times she'd been good company.

"I guess being the Sage of Courage's partnered fairy isn't the greatest job all of the time. Could you tell him I said thanks for the letter of support, and for sending you to guide me through the forest?"

She smiled brightly.

"Sure, it would be a pleasure. He's been way to tense the last six years since he sealed his temple, and it would be nice to cheer him up with a message. See you around, Arkai, and don't do anything stupid to get yourself splatted before you reach the Temple of Courage." Shook her head in amusement before pointing down at the ship. "Now get your ass down there and get going! You're making _everyone_ wait."

She was laughing now, the potential hero racing down the path towards the ship. She continued to smile as the three men on board spotted him and got up to welcome him, sighing as a voice murmured from the air beside her.

"He's still doubting himself, but he's getting there bit by bit."

She nodded; unfazed by the fact she seemed to be talking to thin air.

"Yeah, but he's got the guts deep down to do it. So how are things in the temple, Link? The Guardians giving you any more trouble?"

There was a faint whisper of laughter.

"They're restless, but with the taint of evil growing stronger throughout the Great Sea it's not surprising... So do you want to fly back here or take the short cut?"

She answered immediately.

"The short cut... That way I can watch Arkai through your little window with you."

A hand emerged from thin air, followed by an arm clad in blue with a white guard extending back from the wrist. Navi perched on that hand, chuckling along with her partner as he pulled her through the 'window' and into the Sacred Chamber of his temple.

"Well you always have been rather nosy, I can't say I'm surprised."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The sheer cliffs of the forest's edge were slipping away behind him, the sun creeping towards the horizon ahead of him. The three men on the ship had been keen to get moving and catch the tidal current away from the mainland with the setting sun, and so as yet Arkai had gotten nothing more than their names out of them.

He looked from one face to another from where he stood at the ship's rail, feeling a little bit useless as his offer to help get the ship moving had been shrugged off as unneeded and 'besides you're our passenger'. The captain and oldest man on deck was called Ulthan, and he was about forty with amber eyes set into a weathered face beneath dark blond hair... The other two, Lian and Timre, looked to be in their early twenties and were green-eyed blonds. Even if he hadn't been told it would be members of the Courage Line taking him on their ship he'd have figured it out... There wasn't another family anywhere on the Great Sea that would consistently produce members with blond hair and amber or green eyes, and the resemblance between these three men made it blatant they were related.

A last few ropes were checked, Lian moving to the tiller while Timre disappeared below deck taking Arkai's bag with him. It was now that Ulthan finally came over to talk to him, giving Arkai a long look over before he spoke.

"Sorry for the abrupt treatment, but when the tide is going out the current sweeps westward around the southern end of the Forest Peninsula. It'll carry us a fair way before it stops, and a lot faster than if it were just the wind pushing us. We needed to catch it, because with the wind blowing from the east the second leg of this trip will be somewhat slow. Of course the wind is great for this leg, and pretty good for the last. It will be murder for the third leg though, so fingers crossed it changes to a good bearing before we get that far." He leaned against the rail beside Arkai, raising an eyebrow. "And if you don't mind me mentioning, you looked a little put out when we shrugged off your offer of help. Don't take it personally, this ship is hardly Great Sea Standard, and if you don't know which line does what you could end up taking a sail boom to the head very easily."

Looking a little bemused, Arkai sighed.

"I was that easy to read, huh?" He looked sidelong at the man beside him. "Up until I started out on this journey all I've ever wanted was to become a sailor, and this is my first time out on a ship going any real distance. I've been on short loops out of Nae Lanai as a passenger several times since I was little, and this time I was hoping to actually get to do something to sail the ship."

Ulthan laughed.

"So that's it! Well then, my two sons and Iwill just have to do something about that. By the time we get you to Headstone Isle you'll be able to work the rigging of the Red Lion blindfolded."

Arkai froze for a moment in surprise.

"This is the Red Lion? The Sage of Courage's ship?"

Ulthan laughed again.

"Aye lad, it is. This is the fastest ship on the Great Sea, and even by today's standards there are few vessels that can come close to matching her for speed. I suppose we could have brought the Time's Eternal Gale from Outset instead of this one, but this ship was built by the man you're ultimately on your way to see so there's a nice bit of symmetry to it. Of course the Gale is one of the ships that's almost as fast as this one, and was built by Eidan, the Sage of Courage's father, but it just wouldn't have had the same special touch to it."

Arkai fell silent for a moment, thoughtful.

"And once again I end up meeting people and seeing things that make me feel unbelievably small... This ship is five hundred years old and built by a man who is the closest thing a mortal can be to a god, the most powerful of all the Nine Sages. You're all descended from him, and from a god, and I'm just some guy from Nae Lanai thrown into the deep end of all this."

The captain raised his eyebrow again.

"You don't think you have the courage Heroes are supposed to have, don't think you're strong enough, don't you?" Arkai blinked and looked up as Ulthan continued. "Courage isn't about strength, it's about facing your fears in order to do the right thing. The fact that you're scared but still keep going shows that you have courage enough to fill the walls of Hyrule Castle Town. You're strong of heart, Arkai, and that's where it matters because a strong heart will lead one to becoming strong in the physical sense. You've already got everything you need."

Arkai continued to blink before dissolving into a smile of self-depreciation.

"I've heard a few talks like this come to think of it... You'd think I'd have gotten the message by now."

Ulthan slapped him on the back, laughing.

"The fact that you're joking about it says that you just have. Come on, you were learning to be a sailor before all this right? Let's see how much you know."

With that he hauled Arkai away from the rail and began to point to different basic parts of the ship and asking for the name and purpose. No sooner than he confirmed that Arkai already knew all the basics he launched into teaching him how to work the rigging of ships in general and the Red Lion in particular, the lessons getting the potential Hero's unbridled attention until fading light forced them to bed; the two of them up at the crack of dawn the next day to pick up where they left off.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"The wind is directly behind us! You feel up for it Arkai?"

Four men stood on the deck of the Red Lion with the wind at their backs, grinning at each other as the novice sailor from Nae Lanai nodded and with a leap grabbed one of the ropes of the rigging. With the practice of several days behind him, Arkai detached the lateen sail from the boom and raised it up to join the second previously unused one strapped in place on to the mast, attaching the pulley on the end to a rope anchored there. He then slid down one of the forward lines, opening a hatch in the deck and pulling a number of small metal rings attacked to various rope tags on the edges of the sails inside the hatch. As soon as he was done he joined Ulthan at the tiller and reached for the first of three release ropes, grinning as he pulled it.

With a whine of moving rope and the rustle of canvas the two booms dropped outwards drawing an arch of sail out of the forward hatch, two more ropes bringing out the smaller two arches to spread across smaller spars spread like ribs between mast and booms. Each rope made the ship lurch forward, a whoop of exhilaration coming from all four on board as the Red Lion began to streak across the waves at the speed it was famous for. One more day would see them reach Headstone, and Arkai's first Temple of the Sages of the Master Sword.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Short yeah, but not a lot to say for it really other than the tidbits about Link... He knows what Arkai is doing because he's practically watching from over his shoulder all the time, lol... By the way, did anyone pick up the funny bit I put in the last chapter when Navi was talking about her descendants... Which fairy did she meet and have a spat with in Clock Town, who also has a brother? Hehehehe XD**


	15. Shield and Resolution

**Alaia Skyhawk: And here's the next one :D**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 15: A Shield and a Decision

-

He paced back and forth in the shadowy room, his expression thoughtful as he regarded the various mirrors and crystals that hovered in the air around the stone statue with its pair of sun-switch eyes. He'd arrived on Headstone Isle without much fuss, striding across the sand of the beach to the consecration stone before the cave entrance to the temple. That stone had been moved to the surface five hundred years previous, with concealing it no longer being needed as the location of the once hidden temple was now well known. The Sage of Earth had appeared then and bid him follow her into the temple, the jump into the pit that was the entrance daunting him a little until he plucked up his nerve. Now he stood in a chamber three doors beyond the tiny room the pit led to, with the Sage of Earth following his every move with her eyes as she waited for him to indicate he wanted her to shine light on him with her harp.

Arkai paused for a moment to glance in her direction, her eyes gazing back as she stood in one of the room's two shafts of light. Upon reaching this room she'd handed him a blue-rimmed shield, its polished surface truly like the mirror it was named for. His task to be permitted to leave with it was simple; discern the spot he needed to stand and what he needed to reflect light onto in order to open the door that led deeper into the temple. Medli, the Rito woman watching him, had informed him she'd locked it as using its opening mechanism as part of her test was convenient for her and required little preparation. That it had been simple for her to set up was little consolation, the puzzle was giving _him_ something of a major headache.

Sighing he peered up at the array of mirrors again and looked from one to another he pointed the surface of the shield at one and nodded to the nearby Sage. Immediately she reflected light onto him, which then rebounded off his shield and struck the mirror. It hit one of the sun switches, but stubbornly missed the crystal he'd hoped would split the ray into two to strike both. Grumbling a little he wondered how much more time she'd give him to figure it out... he must have been at this for almost an hour already.

He frowned as she lowered her harp and resumed watching him.

_Fine, new tactic... If hitting a mirror first doesn't seem to work, then I guess I need to hit a crystal and split the ray into two before it can hit any mirrors..._

He stayed where he was and aimed at a likely looking crystal, nodding to Medli as he had done before. Again a ray was rebounded away from him, and after glancing at her to silently request she keep the light on him, he slowly moved changing the angle it hit the crystal until the two resulting rays hit mirrors. Almost as soon as the light had drawn its paths through the shadows than he spotted what he needed. He stopped in his tracks and pointed at a different crystal, changing his position just a little more until with a chime as the rays struck its eyes the statue's face became a golden glowing sun.

Footsteps sounded to his right, the Rito woman coming over with a smile.

"You pass... This test was more about how long you would persist in trying to solve it than actually solving it, though that is a bonus." He gaped at her as she chuckled. "I could see it in your eyes, the temptation to give up, but you didn't and that was what I was testing for. The Master Sword would never permit someone lacking in stubborn will to handle it, because it's that kind of will that will keep a Hero fighting right up until the end. You have that though so you may take the shield with my blessing."

Still gaping at her, as her red eyes glittered with amusement beneath her russet hair and golden headdress, he then managed to speak.

"You're saying I passed because I'm stubborn?! That solving this thing meant _nothing_? But that's... you... but... Oh forget it!" Resisting the urge to go beat his head off the nearest wall, Arkai unhooked his old shield from his back and replaced it with the one he'd just received. "I just hope Makar isn't as sneaky as you..."

Medli chuckled, idly strumming the strings of her harp.

"What he'll be looking for I don't know, but he's bound to find _some _way of getting some fun out of it... He _is_ one of the Kokiri after all."

Arkai turned and headed for the exit, muttering under his breath as she watched him go without following. Yet again he'd been made to feel something of an idiot, and rather small as a result, though this time he didn't let it get to him. Taking to heart the number of pep talks he'd received he instead fed that frustration and embarrassment into determination. As stupid as he felt there was no way he was going to give up and go home at this point.

Arms folded as he glared blankly at the wall flowing downwards in front of him as whatever magic it was lifted him up the entrance shaft and back to the surface, he landed at the top without once thinking about the possibility of falling to his doom as he had on the way down. Ulthan's expression as he'd strode across the beach and swam out the ship didn't faze him either, the captain giving him a wary glance even as he congratulated him on the obvious item he'd successfully earned. Lian and Timre kept their distance as well, silently agreeing with their father that the potential hero needed some time to himself to think.

The Red Lion moved off from the shore of the island, heading west for the tiny pinprick that was Outset. It was only morning, with them having arrived at Headstone the previous night and Arkai going in at dawn. With the wind still behind them they would reach Outset before it got too far into the night, the familiar area of sea meaning that the trio of crew would have no problem navigating close to the island in the dark. Hopefully by then Arkai would have worked out what is was that was bothering him.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

With a groan the young man rolled over, turning his back to the light of the fire in its hearth at the end of the L-shaped room. Ulthan's sons slept near that hearth, in the simple wood-framed bunks that stood opposite it. Three sisters of theirs slept on the wooden platform above the corner where Arkai slept on the floor, Ulthan himself and his wife in the room that was an obvious extension reached by a door to the left of the fireplace. The house, rebuilt many times over the years but always to the same shape, was quite but for the crackle of the embers. All silent but for that and the faint murmurs of the young man as memories haunted his dreams.

'---'-'-'-''---'--'-'-'-'--'-'-'-'--'-'-'-'-'-'

He stood up as those before him had done, lifting his gaze to regard the two mayors at the front of the white walled chamber. He had to tell them what he saw.

"I witnessed the change in Jaran. We were just at the mooring of the Tempest Gull, to try for the place that had become available in its crew. We'd just learned that the captain was looking for an experienced sailor, and were leaving the dockside when everything went quiet. We turned and saw the black mist come in, and ducked into an alley to get out of the way of those running away from the shore. We'd just got there when I felt like something was watching, and when I looked towards the sea I saw three pairs of fiery, slit-pupiled eyes in the mist. When I pointed them out to Jaran he didn't seem to see them, even when they came so close that whatever it was must have been just beyond the end of the pier. Right after that the mist vanished and Jaran suddenly attacked me. After that I knocked him out with the hilt of my sailor's knife."

_Please let them believe me..._

All eyes were on him, including those of a number of people who had also witnessed the change in Jaran... people who had said nothing in their accounts about eyes in the mist. At the front of the room Nae Lanai's mayor regarded him, eventually speaking after an almost endless seeming pause.

"You claim to have seen eyes in the mist, yet from the accounts of others who were on that street you were seen looking up at the sun just before the mist came in. Plunge someone who has had the sun in their eyes into the shadows and they will see yellow-red spots before their eyes quite clearly, and as since none of the other witnesses for Jaran spoke of eyes I think we can say that you were seeing things."

He stared at the mayor.

_Wait, please don't..._

He moved to speak only to be silenced by a wave of a hand.

"Before you object to my assessment of your statement, do you acknowledge that you looked up at the rising sun just before the mist came in? And do you acknowledge that it was just a few seconds after that, that you ducked into the alley and looked out and saw the eyes?"

He stared at him, a sinking feeling in his gut, before he nodded with a sense of finality...

_I'm just a nobody... Why _would_ they believe me?_

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

He sighed, staring out at the waves.

_I'm an idiot... I should never have come to this city..._

He sighed again, closing his eyes in defeat.

_The people back home were right... What could I possibly hope to do?_

His eyes flew open as someone tapped on his shoulder, fright filling him as he turned to come face to face with a man in the silver and green armour of the Queen's Champion.

_Why is he? Did the gate guards report me? Don't say he's going to throw me in the castle dungeon!_

The man regarded him steadily.

"You are to come with me. The Triforce of Wisdom deigns that you have an important message for our queen..."

_Wait... What?_

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The queen held up a hand, silencing her Champion before speaking in a quiet voice.

"What did you see in the mist, Arkai?"

He met her gaze, his expression pleading for her to believe him as before now none had done.

_Will she believe me?_

"Eyes... I saw three pairs of golden irises set into eyes as red a blood. They watched as the people ran, gleeful as if their fear was amusing... I tried to point them out to Jaran, before he changed, but even when he was looking right at them he never saw them..."

He watched as the Queen's expression became thoughtful.

_She won't..._

"Eyes in the Dark Mist..."

Taran snorted.

"You expect us to believe you saw something that no one else has?"

_I knew it would be this way..._

"That's redi..."

"He is not the only one..."

_...What?_

Her champion turned to face her.

"Your Majesty?"

She looked at him again.

_Does she believe me?_

"I too have seen the eyes, eyes full of malice such as that cast over those that are Changed."

_She's seen them too?!_

"I saw them as the Dark Mist struck this city from the sea five days ago, just a day after we learnt of the strike upon Nae Lanai... Only three people have seen them... Chieftain Koanli of the Rito Tribe is the second, and you are the third." Hope began to show in her eyes, which a few minutes before had been devoid of any. "That marks you as special, for while Koanli and I are both Keepers, _you_ are not... That you have seen them leads me to believe that you might possess the qualities to wield the third piece of the Triforce; that with lies with its Keeper, the Sage of Courage..."

Taleen began to splutter.

"Are you saying that you think _he's_ the one my ancestor spoke of in the message he left on the door into the Temple of Courage?" She looked at him. "No offence, Arkai, but you're hardly 'Hero' material." She turned to the queen again. "This guy was running scared from an irate innkeeper! Do you seriously think he could do it?!"

The queen gave her champion's niece a flat stare that silenced her.

"Whether he is or not, whether he can or not, that is not for us to decide..."

_She'd defending me?_

She looked again at Arkai, who by this point was almost apoplectic with shock. "The Sage of Courage spoke of one such as you, one 'who would need to find the courage within'. I earnestly believe that that person is you, and so ask this of you. Believe me or not, will you at least do this; could you but begin the Pilgrimage of Sages. Would you do this for me? Will you ride across the lands and sail the seas, from mountaintop to distance sands? Would you stand upon the consecration stones of each Temple, and in doing so find out if I am right?"

Her eyes pleaded with him, _begged_ him. He started to shake his head.

_What is she asking me for? How could I be the one?_

"But I'm not a warrior..."

She continued to gaze at him, her next word spoken with such desperation that it shocked him to hear the queen speak to him in such a way.

"_Please..._"

Her voice cut through him, that plea tearing at his heart.

_She's asking me... Begging me... How could I refuse knowing how desperate she is... How could I?_

All further resistance crumbled as he then replied in a subdued voice.

"...Alright... I'll do it. I'll see if you are right, and travel as you have asked to the Temples..."

Her smile of gratitude in the next moment was like a golden dawn after the darkest of winters.

_Please let this be the right choice..._

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

As he stood there full of dread, a man emerged from the centremost of the three houses and strode over.

"So you've come back, Arkai, after humiliating your family by charging off like an idiot when the Town Council told you to stay!" He glared. "Where have you been for these past five weeks?!"

_Father... I didn't do it to spite you..._

Rilner gave him a small shove as he spoke with distain.

"He said he went to see the queen, and that she's asked him to do the Pilgrimage of Sages to find out if he's the Hero the Sage of Courage said would come to fight the Dark Mist. He's got a Queen's Writ, a real one since the queen spelled it to be recognised, and she's even loaned him one of her Nayruan Runners. He even says he's been to Lake Hylia to see Lady Ruto already."

He spoke up.

_I didn't do it to shame you..._

"I've been to see Lord Rauru as well."

"I wasn't asking you!" He flinched as his father's shout echoed through the quadrangle, the man continuing. "This is unbelievable! You, Arkai, are not going anywhere! I'm going to send a letter to the queen about this, this is nonsense! She's a complete and utter fool!"

_I didn't do it because you told me not to..._

Something seemed to snap inside him, at some point between his father implying he was a weak, useless idiot, forbidding him from continuing his journey, and his insulting the queen.

_I did it because I believed it was right..._

He spoke, his voice barely loud enough to hear.

"She is _not_ a fool... and you're not stopping me from going anywhere..."

He reached behind his back with his right hand, sliding it into the clawshot's grip and pulling the weapon out so quick those around him didn't realise what he was doing until it was too late.

_I've chosen this path..._

The claw shot out, grabbing onto the wooden bar that framed the top of the open gate, before the retracting chain hauled him out from the relatives surrounding him. A flick of the latch he'd found after a few days' practice opened the claw as he reached the bar, letting him drop to his feet and set off down the street. He didn't run... in his anger only the demons of hell would have a chance of stopping him from returning to the inn.

_I'm walking it of my own choice, not yours..._

He heard several of his cousins running up behind him, as he put his clawshot away and reached for his shield. The next second found three of them on the cobbles nursing broken noses after having said shield rammed into their faces.

_I'm not going to back down..._

The remainder kept their distance, confused by how starkly different he was from when he had left Nae Lanai those weeks before. Where the hell did he learn to fight light that?

The scuffle drew the attention of the nearby town guard, his father calling out to them.

"Don't let him get away! The Council told him to stay put but he ran off, don't let him leave again!"

_Not even if you try to force me..._

The guards began to rush over spears and swords at the ready to 'persuade' him to come quietly, even several sailors charging up to lend a hand. Eyeing them as they closed in, the he sighed.

"So much for keeping a low profile... Please don't let Taran kick me for this the next time I see him..."

_He won't..._

He drew his sword, making a dash towards the largest cluster of guards. Steel clanged on steel as weapons went flying, armour straps cut to make plate metal slide and tangle with severed leather. Next he turned his attention to the sailors, blade cutting belts and clothing, hilt striking chins to knock several unconscious. About twenty seconds after his father had shouted, he was stood in the middle of a ring of disarmed guards, comatose sailors, and several more that were holding clothing up.

_He'd have done the same thing..._

As he sheathed his sword and returned his shield to his back, nearby his cousin gaped with a mixture of shock and awe.

Rilner blinked.

"No... way... Where the hell did you learn to fight like that? Before you left here you'd never so much as _touched_ a sword!"

_That's right, but deep down I just know how to do it..._

Arkai turned to look at him, the guards keeping their distance.

"The Queen's Champion, Taran, gave me a lesson, made me memorise a load of high level practice drills, and told me to practice them every day... Of course I didn't _know_ they were high level until I ended up unable to avoid a sparring match when I was in Hylienalis, and completely flattened the local sword master who'd challenged me... Taran must have spotted I had a talent for the sword, but kept me in the dark so I wouldn't become overconfident." He sighed and turned his back on his family. "It's like I said back at the inn, I wasn't the only one to see the Eyes in the Dark Mist; Queen Zerana has seen them as well. That's why she's asked me to do what she has, to complete the Pilgrimage of Sages and learn if I really am meant to be the Hero the Sage of Courage spoke of. I'm not sure if I really am, but I promised her I'd try and that's all anyone can really expect of me; to try my best. So I don't care what any of you think, I'm going to keep going because if I don't try I'll never know!"

_Just like I know deep down I'm meant to follow this path..._

He strode away back towards the inn, stepping over one of the napping sailors as he went, while behind him his family watched him go in stunned silence.

_Know that I have to at least try..._

'---'-'-'-''---'--'-'-'-'--'-'-'-'--'-'-'-'-'-'

Groggily he opened his eyes, rolling onto his back to look up at the underside of the platform where Ulthan's daughters slept, the memories still there in the forefront of his mind.

_There's no point in my doubting myself anymore... I've come this far, haven't I? Just two tests to go and I can head to the Temple of Courage._

He turned his head to look at the window to the right of the hearth, the faint light of dawn just touching the sky visible through it.

_Even if my family doesn't believe in me, I'll protect them and everyone else anyway._

He closed his eyes and smiled.

_I'm just too stubborn not to..._

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yeah, filler-ish, but I wanted to show those events from his viewpoint, what he was thinking at those key times. On to the next one!**


	16. Sand and a Disgruntled Worker

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yay, Gerudos! They're prob my fav Zelda Race... A Race of female thieves, what's not to admire lol XD**

**Note, there's a conversation in this that was so perfect for one of the scenes I just HAD to adapt it for the fic. Let's see how many recognise it :D**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 16: Sand and a Disgruntled Worker

-

Hot air greeted them as they stepped onto the dock, sand laden wind blowing a dusting of grit into their faces from the shore running south to north of them. That wind had sped them here, having changed direction during the night on they were on Outset allowing them to make exceptional time getting here on the Red Lion. Now here at the Desert Isle of Gerudo, Arkai and Ulthan looked across the dunes to the prominent rocky ridges that housed the Gerudo Fortress.

Patting the potential hero on the shoulder, the sailor grinned.

"A word of warning before we go up there. The Gerudo respect skill, and as all Courage Line members are talented in the use of one weapon or another we're looked upon favourable by them. You however are an unknown, so they're going to be somewhat cold towards you until you prove yourself to them. Don't take it personally."

The two of them set off, leaving the two brothers on the ship to finish mooring it and settle down to wait until the two walking across the sands came back. Thinking about the captain's words as he walked, Arkai sighed.

"It can't be much worse than when I visited my hometown on my way to Kakariko. I had to break a few noses and knock a few people out to prove my point that they weren't going to stop me from keeping going. I don't think the Gerudo are about to try and place me under house arrest, so I can deal with being looked down on. I'll just keep trying my best, like I have up until now, and keep going."

An amused and approving smile was the response.

"Sounds like you've finally gotten your head on straight. No more doubts?"

Arkai snorted.

"Oh I don't know about that, but I'm determined to go as far as I can even if I do doubt myself. I've gone too far now to back down without a fight, even if this whole trip kinda scares the crap out of me."

Ulthan burst out laughing, Arkai chuckling as well as the man continued to chortle with mirth.

"You're going to do fine, Arkai, I can tell you that for sure. Keep thinking like that and you will go _far_, as far as the Temple of Courage and beyond!"

Still laughing the two of them kept walking, until eventually they passed beneath an arch worn into the stone and into the high-sided canyon beyond. Footsteps whispered from ledges above them, though no one could be seen, and after walking another hundred yards or so they came out into the open before an incredible sight.

A great high wall ran along to their left, towards the towers of a portcullis gate and the far side of the colossal cavern. Almost half a mile wide, the southern side of it was completely open to the elements while the northern side rose up in sheer rock. That rock then curved outwards over the multitude of flat roofed levels of the fortress that was the home of the tribe living here, sheltering it from the full brunt of the midday sun.

Gazing at the sight, Arkai spoke with awe.

"Yet another sight I'd never have seen if I'd followed my old dreams of being just a sailor and not gone to Hyrule City. When this is all over, I'm going to show all the places I've been to my friend Jaran. He'd love seeing them as much as I have, and I know the real Jaran is still in there, waiting to be saved."

Aware that Jaran was one of the Changed, Ulthan nodded supportively.

"I'm sure he will, and I'm sure you'll save him. Now if you don't mind me saying so, we have company."

He indicated the pair of red-haired women who were walking over with an equally intimidating pair of glaives in their grasps, their golden eyes cold and wary as they regarded the two male visitors from above the veils covering the lower part of their faces.

The woman on the left spoke.

"State your business."

Clearing his throat after nudging Arkai to keep him quiet, Ulthan spoke.

"I am Ulthan of the Courage Line, and I've come here guiding Arkai on this last leg of the Pilgrimage of Sages. Lady Nabouru should be expecting him."

The expressions of the two Gerudo women warmed a little, although they still regarded Arkai sceptically as Ulthan had warned.

"We welcome you, Ulthan and Arkai. The day is still young, and the air still cool enough to travel. If Arkai so wishes we can help him over the River of Sand, there is time enough before the sun's zenith for him to reach the Guide's Tower by following the flags if he goes now. He will have to wait until tomorrow if he does not."

Arkai caught the hidden barb beneath those words... If he backed down and waited a day, he would never gain their respect unless he did something truly incredible to impress them, even if he did pass Nabouru's test.

Holding tight to his nerve, he answered.

"Then I'll go now. I trust you'll be able to provide me with the necessary supplies for the trip since it's such short notice."

They weren't the only ones who could barb a statement...

Both of them raised an eyebrow, slightly impressed by his rather bold reply. Their expressions smoothing back to cool composure, the speaker of the two indicated he should follow and walked away leaving the other with Ulthan.

"Come with me, we have desert travel gear and supplies stored in the gatehouse. It will take you three days of walking, from sundown to sunrise, to reach the Desert Colossus from the Guide's Tower. It is not a journey for the faint of heart, nor the uncertain. Waver even the slightest and you will be consumed by the sands."

Trying not to openly wince at her statement, Arkai followed her to the gatehouse. After being wrapped in a surprising number of layers of tan cloth, his head and lower face also wrapped, he accepted a satchel and a large water canteen before being led through the now raised grille of the portcullis. Not far out the sands churned, rising upwards at the edges and being sucked downwards in the middle of a trench running the length of the fortress wall.

The Gerudo woman and two others came forward, carrying a very long, ridged plank that looked as though it was made from a wood covered ladder. They placed it over a triangular stone block near the edge of the churning sand, edging it out over the trench before tying down the end the fortress side of the block. The other end barely reached two thirds of the way over the roiling sands, causing Arkai to look at it with some concern.

Seeing this, one of the new women spoke.

"Unless you have a flying carpet or happen to have some magical boots, this is the only way to get across unless you want to risk using a rope and swing out from the wall like we do. Get on and take a run at it, speed is what you'll need to get across."

Arkai got onto it and looked out towards the end, resisting the urge to point out that the matching block on the opposite side, added to the fact that the plank was clearly made of sections slotted together, implied it could be made longer that it was already and that this _wasn't_ the normal way to cross. Then, after taking a deep breath, he sprinted along it at full speed while deep inside he was mentally screaming in sheer terror at the thought of what would happen if he fell short of the other side of the sixty-foot-wide 'River of Sand'.

He flew off the end, sailing out into open air somehow also managing to remember to bring his legs and feet out into front of him and brace for landing. Heart in his mouth the visible edge between stable sand and moving sand came rushing towards him, the wind knocked out of him as he landed just past that line with an audible grunt as he tumbled forward in a tangle of arms, legs, and satchel. Sitting up as the scrape of the plank told him the 'bridge' was being removed, he sat up and glanced over to see one of the Gerudo women give him a single wave of approval before coolly resuming returning the plank to wherever it was kept.

It looked like it took a lot more to impress the Gerudo than risking your life to jump over sand that could suck you down to your death in a matter of seconds...

Holding back a sigh of both relief and resignation, Arkai got to his feet and began following the wooden posts and their red tags of tied cloth out across the sands.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

He could hear the faint haunting whisper that seemed to accompany most Poes as he climbed the spiral ramp around the edge of the squat tower, the sound rasping in his ears a little like chalk on a blackboard, causing him to wince. He'd arrived here just after midday, entering the tower, which in fact extended down rather than up, to rest inside the cool chamber below which was kept clear of sand by the barrier of magic at the top of the ladder. Now on the flat top of the tower, the sun just set, he stopped before a stone tablet there that was inscribed with a simple set of instructions.

_'Those wishing to be guided across the desert, state thy names and the guide shall appear.'_

A little hesitant, Arkai did just that.

"Um, hello. I'm Arkai, and I need a guide."

Almost instantly a rather squashed looking poe appeared in the air above the tablet.

"Ah, a visitor.... finally!" It descended a little to look him in the eye. "I knew you were here the moment you arrived and headed down below to rest, but I have to wait up here by this bloody tablet... Whose bloody idea was it that the Guide has to stay hidden until someone says their bloody name anyway?"

Arkai backed up half a step.

"Um..."

The Poe Guide sighed.

"Well whatever... Hello, I'm the Guide."

Arkai raised an eyebrow, taking in the fact that the poe was short enough in stature that it looked as though it had had an encounter with something very heavy moving in a downwards-vertical direction.

"You look a bit small to be a Guide..."

The poe snapped at him, waving its arms around to emphasise its point.

"And how many Poe Guides have _you_ met before, mate?! What am I supposed to look like?!"

"Um, good point..."

The poe huffed.

"Well, let's just get down to business... Tell me, Arkai, are you a pilgrim or a sightseer?"

The Hyllian raised his eyebrow again before answered.

"Neither... I'm supposedly the next Hero, and am on my way to see Nabouru to get my next tool or weapon."

The poe glared at him as though he'd just clouted it over the head with a brick.

"Hero?! Oh you would have to be a sodding hero, wouldn't you?!" It began to pace, or rather float, back and forth muttering. "The first one to come along in fifteen hundred flipping years and it would have to be a _hero!_"

Arkai was now confused.

"Why? Is there a problem with that?"

The Guide stopped and glared at him again.

"Well yes, there is actually! It's like those bloody pilgrims, such a pain in the arse! You're one of these 'Special Cases'."

Arkai looked surprised.

"Really? In what way?"

The poe now looked seriously pissed off.

"Yes... Apparently, according to the powers that be since I'm just doing my flipping job... Apparently Heroes fall in the category of people I _have_ to take on a safe route with no monsters and which has lots of oasis'."

Arkai frowned.

"And why would you want to take them on a less safe one?"

The poe shook its head.

"Because, you little... Because to get out of this sodding job there has to be someone to replace me... That is someone I'm escorting to the Colossus has to die along the way... Only a complete idiot would die on the safe route, which leaves me stuck with all my luck pinned on the sightseers... You know, the people who come here so they can brag later to their friends back home that they've been to the Colossus, unlike the pilgrims who go quietly to see Lady Nabouru for 'guidance of spirit'. Sightseers are fair game, I can't lead them to certain death, but I don't have to go easy on them either. A few encounters with living cacti, skip out a few oasis', and the more stupid of them are pretty likely to keel over mid-trip."

Arkai tried to hide a smirk.

"I take it then that you were one of the 'sightseers'."

The next second he had to dodge as a ball of magic almost took his ear off, the Guide shaking its fist at him.

"Now just wait a minute! Smart arse! Smart mouth me again and you won't get out of this that easily. One more smart comment out of that mouth and, rules or no rules, I'll lead you into a nest of sand vipers! I can just say it was... an accident... Gods know I've followed the sodding rules for sixteen hundred flipping years, and a thousand of those this place was covered in water! WATER! How are visitors supposed to come then, huh? But did the gods give me that time off? Nooooooo! I had to sit here blowing bubbles!" It poked him. "My patience with this bloody job is at it's last thread, and the next person to mouth off to me, be it you or some other guy, is going to get it!"

Arkai backed up a little more, now rather nervous.

"Um, sorry... Uh, could we set off now?"

The poe huffed again and drifted off to hover above the sand below.

"Yeah, fine, now hurry up!"

Arkai raced down the spiral ramp, falling in behind the poe who continued to mutter as it led him across the dunes.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Rinsing the grit from his mouth with a tiny bit of water from his canteen, Arkai glanced over his shoulder at the departing back of the Guide whose disgusted muttering could still be heard as he floated away across the sands. The past three nights of traveling had been tense, as tense as the two days of sleeping in the shade beside a tiny oasis of which the path he'd been shown had no less than seven, an astounding number in such a short distance for a desert. He'd not said a word during that time, not wanting to risk aggravating the Guide into doing something against the rules, and it was only now he could finally relax since the poe had assured him that 'Ms Sage' led pilgrims back to the fortress, so that would mean Heroes too.

Now free of the antagonistic spirit, Arkai walked to where he could see the typical palm trees of an oasis, sitting down beside the crystal waters to eat some of the rather bitter trail crackers he'd been given before stripping off and diving in to cool down, something he'd not dared do at the oasis' on the way here in case the poe took exception to it. The sand of the days' travel out of his hair, he dressed again and headed for the obvious imposing structure of the Colossus.

It was easily as tall as or taller than Hyrule Castle, a great round-topped boulder of rock with the meditating figure of the Sand Goddess carved deep into its face in perfect detail above the square-topped doorway that led into the temple depths. Looking up at it, Arkai might have added it to his mental list of places he wanted to show Jaran, but also made note to call it a 'pilgrimage' when that time came... No sense taking chances. Thoughts turning to the reason he was here, he then looked around for the Consecration Stone, spotting it some distance away to his right and walking over. No sooner than he stepped on it than a Gerudo woman, wearing white loose leggings in comparison to the red and purple he'd seen being worn around the fortress. That wasn't the only way she was distinct from the others of her tribe, her warm and open smile was a sharp contrast to the cool regards of the others.

Still smiling, her amber eyes dancing with anticipation, she conjured something into both of her hands and tossed them to him.

"Follow me if you can. If you can keep up in a reasonable time, you pass."

She darted away across the sand, leaping up and stopping on top of a moderate sized boulder blocking a gap in a rocky ridge extending out from the Colossus.

He gawked at her before looking down at the _two_ sets of gauntlets in his hands, spluttering a little.

"You've given me _both of them?_"

His voice carrying to where she stood, she continued to grin and nodded mischievously before dropping down behind the boulder and out of sight. Staring after her, he fumbled for a moment, tucking the golden of the two pairs inside his desert garb before pulling the other pair on. Now wearing the Silver Gauntlets he ran across the sand to the boulder, crouching down and sliding his hands under the edge of it before heaving upwards. Eyes going wide with shock, he gaped as the boulder went up and over his head to thump down into the sand behind him. He then stared at the gauntlets which had just let him toss a two ton boulder like it was one of the barrels he'd heaved about back in Nae Lanai. He then gulped as the implication of the power of the other set he had sunk in; if silver let him do this, what would gold let him do?

A sharp whistle brought his attention back to the nearby Sage, who was waving from atop another boulder that sat among a large scattering of others littering the dunes behind the temple. The rock was on it's own, but it was clear what she wanted; he had to toss every boulder she went over, and follow her exact path across the sands. Taking the hint he went after her, heaving the next rock out of the way, and the next, and the one after that, as gradually he got used to the gauntlets and began grinning as he threw rocks about like pillows. It was then that she changed her tact, picking two rocks, one the same as those previous and one a great deal bigger, which were side by side and passing over exactly between them with a smile over her shoulder. She wanted him to pick which he'd move.

Arkai stopped in front of the two rocks; one the size of a small cart, the other the size of a small _house_. He eyed them up, gaze moving from one to another, before with an expression that clearly said 'why not?' he pulled off the Silver Gauntlets and pulled on the gold ones. He then headed for the house-sized rock, reached under it, and tossed it with every ounce of his strength.

Letting out a laugh of exhilaration he watched as it soared up into the air, passing over his head and crashing down onto the dunes behind him. He then broke into a run and headed after Nabouru again, not even stopping to eye up a rock anymore and instead reaching down and heaving them out of the way as soon as he reached them, laughing as the 'follow the leader' test descended into a race to see it he could catch up to her while still stopping to move rocks out of his way. She began laughing as well, keeping darting over rocks until the exertion of the test combined with the increasing heat as the sun rose higher finally forced Arkai to stop.

He stood there, panting and dripping sweat beneath his desert garb, still laughing under his breath as he smiled at the approaching Sage.

She patted him on the back, breathing a little hard herself, her wide smile not wavering as she spoke.

"You pass, without a doubt. The test wasn't really about the time, but rather if you'd have the nerve to use the golden ones." She pointed to the gauntlets he was still wearing. "Remember today whenever you use either of the sets, for today will have taught you what each of them will allow you to do. Use that knowledge to guide you in choosing when you do and do not need to use them in your trials to come." After taking a look at her newly rearranged section of desert, she then gripped his shoulder tightly. "Now then, let's get you back to the fortress." There was a flare of orange light, as dazzling as the sun glaring down, and when it faded a chorus of shouts reached his ears at the same time as the woman beside him whispered into one of them. "I'd take those off now..."

Hastily Arkai removed the gauntlets, then looking up to see Ulthan racing over with a number of Gerudo following behind at a more sedate pace. The sailor stopped in front of him, his eyes hopeful.

"Did you pass?"

Nabouru answered for him.

"He passed with flying colours... and a lot of flying boulders. This young man has guts, that's for sure, and I'm honoured to place my faith in him in the times to come. He continues on his journey with my blessing."

The various women who had now gathered around all began to murmur in approval, previously cold expressions becoming almost friendly as they looked at the potential hero. Arkai, Ulthan, and Nabouru then heading into the fortress, it would be nightfall before the pair of Hyllians would return to the Red Lion, with the afternoon spent in far more hospitable company than before, while youth from Nae Lanai enthusiastically told the sailor about just how big the rocks he'd been throwing around had been. Meanwhile, high up on the rim of the cavern roof, a figure stepped into view as though from thin air, the white baton in his hand whispering with unearthly song before the wind shifted suddenly to blow east and the figure stepped back from whence it came...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: So how many**** recognised**** the conversation the Poe Guide had with Arkai? A clue, the adapted lines came from a British made game for the N64, which involves a squirrel and a lot of swearing. Also, if you're wondering, Arkai jumped 6 meters from a raised launch point, which is plausible for an**** amateur**** long jumper. Lastly, yay for throwing rocks the size of small houses!**


	17. Wind's Challenge

**Alaia Skyhawk: As questions will probably be raised by those remembering where the Windwaker ended up in the first fic, a certain little fairy "borrowed" it for her friend without the current King's knowledge. It will be pointed out in the fic later, but for now I figured I'd stave off any questions about it XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 17: Wind's Challenge

-

Leaning on the ship's rail as he eyed the rapidly approaching island, Arkai, for the first time since he started this trip, considered the test ahead with no fear. The two weeks since he and the Red Lion had departed from Outset had given him a lot of time to think, the test at the Desert Colossus having taught him more about enjoying a challenge rather than dreading it. Gale Isle... whatever Makar had come up with in the weeks he'd been 'killing time', he'd face it with a smile of determination and a spirit without doubt. The Wind Sage was going to get quite a shock at how much he'd changed since they'd met outside the Forest Haven, and to be quite honest he was looking forward to surprising him.

Smiling to himself, Arkai stood straight and checked his equipment. He'd already guessed what he would be getting from the Wind Sage, since anyone who'd grown up hearing the story of the Sage of Courage's own journey as a hero would know. He was still smiling when the ship's hull grated lightly on the sand at the edge of the beach, at which he jumped down into the water and out of it to stand on the stone which, like it's counterpart at Headstone Island, had been lifted up from the sea floor at some point during the centuries. His eyes also took note of a few rather obvious additions fixed to the sides of the rocks rising to his left, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards a little further just as the resident Sage appeared.

Makar grinned, clearly anticipating his test, and taking note of Arkai's lack of surprise at the item he held, he tossed it to him.

"So you guessed you'd be getting another clawshot." As Arkai caught it and settled it into the grip of his left hand, the Kokiri continued. "Now this is what you have to do to kee... Huh!"

Makar gaped as Arkai pointed the new clawshot at the nearest of the circular mesh anchors he'd spotted, unhooking his second clawshot from his belt and firing it at the next one higher up as an astonished Sage looked on.

He glanced over his shoulder before firing at the next.

"You wanted to race me didn't you? Hurry up or I'll leave you behind!"

His mouth working like that of a stranded fish, Makar stared for a few seconds longer before racing after the Hyllian who was already almost fifty foot up among the rocky ridges and spires of the island's peak. Propelling himself through the air using his magic, he pulled ahead of Arkai before speaking in a rather startled tone.

"You didn't waste any time, did you? What happened to the cautious guy back at the Forest Haven?"

Arkai laughed as he was pulled through the air to the next mesh circle.

"He decided to quit being a wussy and just get on with it! These tests aren't all that bad."

Makar frowned as he continued to lead the way around the racecourse of sorts.

"These tests are nothing compared to what you'll face later. These are like a school sports lesson on a sunny day; later you'll be confronted by life or death situations where a split second mistake could cost you your life."

The potential hero gave the Sage a small glare, before with a glance to his right as he reached the next anchor he suddenly jumped out into thin air to take aim at a circle that was obviously a later part of the course and obviously out of clawshot range of the circle he'd aimed from. The momentum of his jump carrying him outwards as he fell, he suddenly fired the clawshot, its grapple sinking into the mesh of the other circle now right at the limit of its range.

Pulled up to it and now safe at his new anchor, Arkai glanced at Makar with a smirk before, like the child the Sage resembled would, he stuck his tongue out at him. He then set off along the new section of course that was obviously heading down to the beach, leaving Makar staring after him in shock...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"The look on Makar's face was priceless after I made that jump. He just looked at me and nodded when he reached the beach again, and didn't say a word. Nothing but a nod to say I could keep the clawshot."

Uthan and his sons burst into laughter, as Arkai looked over his shoulder at the retreating island, the captain shaking his head in amusement.

"I knew you were becoming more bold, but I never knew you had that sort of guts. If you'd missed that anchor you'd be dead on the rocks."

Arkai winced, looking very uncomfortable.

"Well actually I didn't think before I jumped... I was so ticked off at Makar at what he said, when I'd worked so hard to get over my fear of the tests, that when I saw that other anchor I did what I did on impulse."

Timre spluttered with laughter.

"You mean?"

Arkai laughed uneasily.

"Yeah, the second after I jumped I was seriously crapping myself. It took all my will not to faint from fear, and to take aim at that anchor. I was so scared I couldn't even _look_ scared, so Makar has no idea just how much I freaked myself out with that stunt... I won't be doing anything like that again for a while."

Again everyone laughed, and it was Lian this time that pointed something out.

"Though I wouldn't be so sure about that... You've completed the Pilgrimage of Sages, so you can now go to and enter the Temple of Courage. Things out here were tame, who knows what waits for you in there."

Arkai became quiet, very quiet, before with a distinctly sinking feeling in his gut he headed for his cabin.

"I think I'm going to go lie down..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"Anami!"

With a joyful laugh and a joyful whinny, potential hero and Nayruan mare raced towards each other before the former began to make a fuss of the latter. Anami nibbling contentedly on the edge of his hair, she then nuzzled at his shoulder.

"Hnnnn."

He smiled and began to scratch her behind one of her ears, while the nearby dockworkers stared in confusion at this strange meeting of a ship passenger and a horse who had come charging down the street to the dock like she'd had the demons of hell chasing her.

"Before all this started I'd not have seen myself saying this to a horse, but I missed you. You hear that, a few weeks in your company and this would be sailor decided he liked riding about on land just as much."

She whickered, almost sounding like a laugh, before she began to inspect the new additions hanging from his belt and back. Meanwhile Ulthan and his sons looked on with a smile.

"Well this is where we leave ya lad. Getting to the Temple of Courage is your problem now, so I suggest you go stock up on supplies and get going. You know the direction to take?"

Arkai gave him a bemused look.

"Even a _five year old_ could tell you where the Temple of Courage is. I'll be fine."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"So that's everything I've done since I left you with Makar. Throwing those rocks around was fun, and surprising Makar just as good. He was right about one thing though, and that's that this journey is only going to get harder and more dangerous. I'd like to ask 'am I ready for this' but I guess that whether I'm ready or not I've got to do it. Everyone is placing their faith in me, so I've got to at least try."

Sighing, Arkai leaned against Anami's side, here in the cool, hay-scented stables of one of North Port's best inns. Using his Queen's Writ he'd gotten the necessary supplies to get him to the temple and back, along with enough to last several days extra. Hopefully he wouldn't be inside the temple for longer than that. He would be leaving in the morning.

The mare nuzzled his shoulder, prompting him to reach up and pat her on the neck, neither of them aware of the man watching them from the depths of their next destination.

Gazing through his magical window, the Sage of Courage regarded Hyrule's hope of salvation with solemn green eyes beneath his mantle of white hair.

"Prepare for your next challenge, Arkai... It is one that will shape you from an uncertain man into a confident hero... or kill you in trying..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: DUN DUN DUN! Time for the Temple of Courage, a dungeon with a difference hehehehehe :D**


	18. Temple of Courage, the Trials Begin

**Alaia Skyhawk: Here we go, woo hoo!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 18: Temple of Courage, the Trials Begin

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The forest was misty, as it had become for the last two days he and Anami had travelled through it. Truth be told, while he may have told Ulthan he knew where the temple was, he only really knew _roughly_ where it was. He'd been travelling on a guess up until now, but now in this mist he was travelling blind. The strange mist blanked out the sky, and all but the closest few of the trees around him and the mare, but its presence could also be a good thing, since it may in fact mean he was nearing the place he was searching for.

He looked around, picking a tree and using it as a bearing to make sure he didn't change direction as he'd been doing for some time now. The tree was distinctive, with an odd bulge on one side. When he got closer to it though he cursed when he realised he'd seen it before.

"We're going around in circles, Anami. Don't the stories say the woods close to the temple turn people around to keep them out, what if that's what's happening now?"

_Now why would I keep you out when I've been waiting for you to show up?_

He flinched, looking around wildly for the source of the voice.

"Who's there?"

There was a laugh.

_Now that should be obvious, although I'm actually speaking from within my temple. Turn to face the third tree to your left and keep walking, if you stray from the path I will tell you. If not, I will speak to you again once you are ready to enter and face my trial..._

The voice faded into the mist, leaving a slightly bemused young man doing as instructed. He turned Anami to face the aforementioned tree and had her walk past it and straight on, and they'd walked for barely an hour before the dim, damp shadows were suddenly replaced by glaring brightness and warm sunshine.

Blinking against that glare, Arkai looked around and gasped. He was in a pristine forest clearing which had a Consecration Stone placed in its exact centre. To the far side was the imposing stone entrance of the Temple of Courage, set into the side of the forested hill that housed it, and upon the door he could see the silver glow of the Sage's message to the world even from this distance.

Swallowing nervously he dismounted and led Anami over to the entrance, removing her saddle and placing it against the wall beyond the line of columns fronting the impressive facade. Giving her one final pat before leaving her to settle herself in the clearing, he then turned his attention to the temple door.

Standing before it he read the lines of silver script he saw there.

"'_Long did I fight for the world, long have I watched over it, and long have I protected the people who live upon it... but now is not my time, but rather the time of another... I am not the one who must face the coming darkness, nor are any of my descendants, instead it must be one who must discover the courage they hold within... Only when they have found it will this door open, so that they may face my trial and earn not just the right to wield the Master Sword, but also the Golden Power that I keep...'_ Am I really the one?"

A whisper reached his ears, and this time it sounded as though it reverberated from the stone before him itself.

_That you are here shows you have found at least some of the courage within you, enough for me to permit you to enter at least... Tread carefully, Arkai, and learn well the lessons you will find within. You have not yet the courage to face that which you have named Malice; that courage is something you _must_ find within these walls or my trial will be your executioner... I tell you this now so that you will know what it is you face here. Succeed and you will become the beacon of hope for Hyrule... Fail, and you will not live to see the lands and people you hold dear fall to darkness. From now on I will watch, seen but unseen; my voice heard but not heard. Face my trial and know that I have faith in you, and that I trust in the potential you hold within. Until we meet face-to-face, Arkai, good luck._

The silver script faded, the stone door grinding open ominously as the voice of the Sage of Courage faded to silence. Beyond that door lay a shadowed stone passage, a passage that Arkai now tentatively entered. His heart pounding, he walked along it with the daylight fading into the distance behind him, eventually reaching the end and placing his hand upon the door. The stone slid upwards, and he entered the chamber beyond.

The chamber was square, some fifty yards between him and its far side. Each wall bore a single doorway; the one he'd entered, one to each side, and one straight ahead. He edged over to the lattermost, a touch of his hand yielding nothing; the door was locked. He turned to the door on the right, above which a stylised flame had been carved, and it too yielded nothing. With only one door left he walked over to the left of the chamber, looking up at the tree carved above that door before putting his hand upon the stone.

It slid upwards revealing a blinding wall of light that had him squinting as it drove back the gloom within the chamber, Arkai shielding his face from the glare until his eyes could bear to look at it. The wall of light was utterly still, and yet swirled before him with opalescent rainbows of colour. The glow was warm, almost welcoming, and he knew then and there that if he wanted to save everyone then he _had_ to step through it.

Taking a deep breath, Arkai tightened his grip on his moderate bag of supplies and walked into the light.

He staggered, blinking in shock before turning to look behind him. Trees... He was stood on a dirt path and surrounded by trees, and there was no sign whatsoever of the door he'd just stepped through. He was in the middle of a forest, but a forest of trees that were similar but different from those surrounding the temple. The air was warm, the wind carrying the scent of flowers and damp earth, and he was utterly alone.

Gulping a little at the implications, Arkai let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Where in the name of the Goddesses am I?"

Nothing answered, Arkai standing there in silence until he realised that wherever he was, he was stuck there until he'd done what he had been sent here to do. He looked at the trail he was on and making a decision, he turned right and headed down it.

Birds sang in the treetops as he walked, his eyes ever moving in search of potential danger. Those birds would prove his salvation, for their sudden silence warned him the moment that danger chose to strike.

There was a chorus of resounding snarls, which split the air and sent the birds shrieking into the sky. Something huge lunged out of the surrounding trees, almost knocking Arkai flat as he dodged it, sword and shield now drawn. The creature came back into view along with three others; piercing orange eyes glaring at him with malice above bared yellow fangs.

They were wolves... _huge_ wolves. They stood easily as tall as Arkai's shoulders, and he knew they would be far stronger than him. He began to slowly back up, swallowing repeatedly as he fought not to panic. Panic and he was dead, he knew he'd be; he had to stay calm or he was completely screwed!

He stopped backing up and levelled his gaze at them, standing ready to attack or defend with sword or shield as needed. All those sword drills, the practice, they weren't meant for sparing matches, they were meant for this. Seeing the change in his stance the wolves tensed, each side eyeing up the other until almost a full minute later the latter made their move.

With a chilling howl they lunged at him, Arkai running one through while smashing his shield into the head of another. One wolf down and another stunned, he fought to untangle his blade as the remaining two charged at him. He ducked the first, his roll to the side not quite fast enough for the second. Fangs seized his upper right arm, sinking deep until with a pained and determined yell he ripped his sword free of the dead wolf beside him and jammed the tip into his attacker's eye. As it dropped he cleared his blade again and slew the wolf that was stunned, his shield drooping on his injured arm as he regarded the last of the wolves. It darted at him, aiming for his now apparently undefended right side, but expecting it to do that Arkai turned and imposed his blade into the creature's path.

With a yelp it ran straight into the sword, dropping to the ground impaled as Arkai fell to his knees breathing heavily. The Sage of Courage had warned him the trial would be full of danger, and he hadn't been kidding. He'd been in it barely twenty minutes and already he was hurt after being attacked by four monster-sized wolves.

Panting, he sat there for several moments before taking a look at his arm. Four deep gouges, two top and two bottom, oozed blood to soak his sleeve. Would that the wolf had bitten a few inches higher, then at least his chainmail would have meant he have bruises instead of wounds. He winced as he got to his feet and stumbled over to his abandoned bag. He'd packed all of his medicines, and it was just as well since he was in a situation needing them already.

He was just about to reach down for it when a small voice made him freeze, Arkai turning to look up into the branches of a nearby tree even as his hand began moving towards the sword he'd dropped beside the bag.

"Are you the Legendary Hero?" A small face came into view, a little girl gazing at him from beneath a mop of brown curls. He relaxed a little as she climbed down and walked over, peering up at him hopefully. "The Elders have always said that one day a hero will come to drive away the Wolverines. Are you him?"

Arkai looked down at her, a little surprised; she couldn't have been more than seven years old.

"Legendary Hero? Uh, I'm not sure... Um, could you tell me your name, and why you were up that tree?"

She looked at the tree, and then at the nearby dead wolverines.

"My name is Riana, and I live in the village in these woods. My brother is ill, so I came into the forest to look for herbs for medicine, but I went too far and the wolverines found me. I climbed up the tree so they couldn't get me, but they wouldn't leave so I was stuck." She flung herself towards him and hugged him. "Thank you so much for saving me!"

Arkai winced, yelping a little as her hug jolted his wounded arm.

"It's no problem, seriously. I kind of had to kill them anyway to save myself. It was just lucky it also helped you. Ahh!"

At his yelp she took a step back, suddenly apologetic when she noticed his arm.

"You're hurt! Here, let me help!"

She sat him down, rummaging through his bag when he pointed her to it and dragging out a roll of bandage, a pot of salve, and a rag. He ripped his sleeve off while she did that, the young girl using the rag to clean his arm before applying the salve and bandage. When she was done he gave her a small smile.

"Thanks for the help, now I think you'd better lead me to that village you mentioned. You need to get home, and I need a place to stay for the night."

She beamed at him as he stood up and shouldered his bag and weapons.

"Thank you Mr Legendary Hero. You'll be welcome, for sure! Everyone will be so happy to see you finally came!"

Trying not to look too uncomfortable, Arkai began to follow her as she waved him along the forest trail.

"I'm still not sure I'm who you think I am, but if there's anything I _can_ do to help I'll certainly try." He pulled up level with her as she practically skipped along. "So what's the story with those Wolverines?"

Her expression became fearful, her joyful walk becoming subdued.

"They came a long time ago, when the Elder was my age. I don't know why it happened, but I do know that everyone is really scared of them. People in the village say they used to be able to go anywhere in the forest, but now if they go too far the Wolverines get them and they never come back. My daddy went to try and stop them once, but he never came back..."

She began to sniff, tears forming at the corners of her eyes before she wiped them away with a suppressed sob. Her sorrow tearing at him, Arkai placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, whatever I find out in the village I promise you that I'll do what I can. Whether I'm the hero you've waited for or not, I'll try."

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**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehe, dungeon with a difference! Free trip to the Forest Realm, return ticket not included! XD**


	19. Learning of a Legend

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehe, he's been thrown in the deep end, the **_**really**_** deep end XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 19: Learning of a Legend

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The forest was once again peaceful, the birds singing among the boughs as the little girl led him down the trail. Her cheerfulness had returned after a while, as her thoughts of the Wolverines had instead turned to thoughts of the 'Legendary Hero' she said had been promised her village. Even now she was enthusiastically singing him a childish rhyme about the hero slaying the terrible wolverines, one that was increasingly making Arkai want to find a hole and disappear into it.

Skipping along and flourishing a stick-sword, she continued the rhyme at practically the top of her voice.

"The demon wolves who haunt the night, who fill the people all with fright! The Hero's cry shall lead the way, to slay the wolves in light of day! Hail the Hero strong and bold, the one whose story will be told! Through all of time, in song and rhyme, forever heard and remembered!"

Cringing as she then began a new one, Arkai cleared his throat.

"We're still among the trees, it might not be the wisest thing to be so loud. I may have slain those other wolverines, but with my arm injured I might not be able to handle more should your singing lead them to us."

Hearing the edge in his voice as he said it, she stopped singing and looked back at him apologetically.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to cause trouble." She sighed. "We're not far from the village boundary now though, so we should be alright."

Realising he'd upset her, however unintentionally, he grimaced.

"I didn't know. Remember, I'm new to these parts and so don't know my way around. I was just being careful, that's all."

She regarded him solemnly for a moment before breaking into a smile again.

"It's ok, I understand. Now come on! Follow me!"

She then took off down the trail at a run, leaving him scrambling after her. This day was just betting better and better...

Catching up to her and settling into a run alongside, Arkai thought through the last couple of hours. He'd gone from being in a temple to being in the middle of nowhere, attacked by monster wolves, slaying them and unintentionally saving a little girl, and somehow being promoted to 'Legendary Hero'. Sufficient to say he was on the verge of a major headache. Suppressing the urge to groan, he brightened a little when he realised that, just as she'd said, they were close to the village that was her home.

Emerging from the trees she slowed to a walk, beginning to dance about beside him in eagerness as she began to point things and people out to him. The village was a cluster of cottages set amid fields of crops much like the farming villages Arkai had seen a lot of in his travels so far. But unlike those other villages, this one was surrounded by a high, log wall scattered with figures keeping watch on the surrounding forest.

One of those figures spotted them, his strident call alerting those in the fields outside the walls. Immediately many of them rushed over, one in particular being more than a little upset when she reached them a minute or so later.

The woman dashed to the little girl and after hugging her tightly she promptly began to scold her.

"Riana, how could you be so foolish?! We were so worried; there are still a search parties out looking for you!"

The brown haired girl began to squirm, looking ashamed.

"But Mommy, Taru is ill. I just went to get herbs for him..."

The woman frowned.

"A task the elder's grandson was going to do for us this afternoon. Instead he's had to organise the search for you, and stay in the village to control the messenger hawks keeping us in touch with those out in the woods!"

"Don't be too hard on her, Milandra. She only wanted to help her brother get better." The cluster of villagers turned, facing the solemn looking young man who'd come out of the village. Releasing the hawk on his wrist into the air, he tilted his head causing the beret-like hat on it to slip a little above the somewhat scruffy upper tresses and the small, neat horsetail the longer lower strands had been tied into. "I've sent word out calling the search parties back in, and I can still get the herbs for Taru later as soon as the Wolverines' least active time comes." He looked at Arkai. "Right now however I'm more interested in learning who Riana's guest is. We don't get visitors here, not anymore... not since the day the Wolverines claimed the woods around this place."

All eyes turned to Arkai, Riana wriggling free of her mother and darting to his side proclaiming loudly.

"He's the Legendary Hero! I was chased up a tree by Wolverines, but he slew them and saved me!"

Once again the youth from Nae Lanai found himself grimacing.

"And again I'll point out I had no idea you were up that tree. The wolverines attacked me and I defended myself, that's all there is to it."

Murmurs had arisen at what the girl had said; Arkai's words gaining a raised eyebrow from the village man who clearly commanded a great deal of respect.

Pausing thoughtfully, the elder's grandson spoke.

"Milandra, take Riana home and I'll bring those herbs to you this evening; everyone else return to your chores. The people began to disburse, leaving him and Arkai standing alone. Straightening his hat and his tunic, the village man then turned and began to walk away. "I think you, I, and my grandfather need to have a talk. Come with me."

Nervously Arkai followed, matching strides with the local man and glancing sidelong at him.

"My name's Arkai. Riana told me a little about the Wolverines, and that apparently you have some legend here about a promised hero."

The man regarded him with grey eyes as they heading towards a gate in the village wall.

"It's a promise the Gods made to us, sent to the elder in a dream at the time just after the Wolverines first took over the forest. It was promised that someday someone not of this village would appear in the forest, and that they would be the one to defeat the Lord of the Forest Realm, Orphus. Most people in the village don't believe it anymore, not after waiting for eighty years with no sign of any such person. Despite your appearance here, and your saving of Riana, however unintentional it may have been, most will still cease to believe in it."

Arkai sighed, feeling very uncomfortable.

"Well I'm not sure I'm the one, but I _do_ know there's something I have to do here... That became kind of obvious when the door that dumped me here disappeared behind me..."

The villager blinked.

"You were sent here by magic?"

Arkai groaned.

"Apparently... One minute I was inside the Temple of Courage, facing entering what was supposed to be the first part of my trial there, and the next I'm in the middle of a forest with no clue where I am. I stepped through the wall of light in the door and then I was here."

There was a long silence before the man spoke.

"Perhaps there is some truth to the old promise... We will speak more of this with my grandfather." He offered his hand. "I'm Kir'iran, by the way, the grandson of the village elder if you hadn't already guessed." Arkai shook it, wincing when he jolted his arm again in the process and causing Kir'iran to frown. "I'll take a look at your arm while we talk. If you got that fighting those wolverines Riana mentioned, then we need to make sure it's completely clean. Their bites carry some nasty things that can be fatal if not treated properly, but which are easy to treat if caught early."

Inclining his head to indicate they keep moving, Kir'iran let his unexpected guest into the village.

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"So, you were sent here by magic you say? Care to explain the circumstances of your strange arrival?"

The elderly man regarded Arkai with kind grey eyes above an equally grey beard, watching from his seat beside the hearth of the small cottage. Kir'iran had led him here and had since treated the bite wound, and now after telling the elder the gist of the matter it was time to talk in more detail.

Easing back into the simple wooden chair on which he sat, Arkai took a deep breath and began to explain.

"I'm from Hyrule, a place where the Triforce once slept and where it now is kept safe by the three Keepers. An evil I've since named Malice started attacking coastal towns, some dark power causing some of the people to become changed, aggressive and malicious towards others. The evil attacks from within a cloud of mist, and after I saw eyes in that mist I went to see the Queen." He sighed again. "It ended up with her asking me to complete the Pilgrimage of Sages and attempt to pass the trials of the Temple of Courage, to see if I'm the next hero Hyrule needs to defeat the new evil. The Sage of Courage warned me his trials would be dangerous, but he never warned me I'd end up somewhere like this."

Kir'iran and his grandfather glanced at one another, the latter speaking.

"So you say you were seeking to become the hero your people need, and yet now you find yourself here among people who too need a hero. From what you say, Malice is a truly terrible creature, surely far more evil and powerful than the demon wolf that haunts our forest. Orphus is terrible, but he possesses no magic. His might is that of brute strength, though that itself is too much for _us _to defeat as we are. We lack the weapons and training to face him, despite our efforts to correct that; you however possess both the tools and, it seems, the skill to take on the Wolverines."

His grandson stiffened a little, and then smiled wryly.

"I think I know what my grandfather is suggesting. We here in this village have never heard of a place called Hyrule, but it's clear to say that Hyrule isn't the only place evils appear. I'm guessing that Triforce you mentioned means the worst evils gather in those lands, seeking to take it, while far from Hyrule lesser evils such as Orphus appear. Hyrule, by fate, gets its Heroes from among its people, but out here rarely are blessed such. I think that Sage of Courage sent you to face the evil here, to prepare you to face that in your homeland, and also help a place that otherwise get none."

Arkai frowned, the sinking feeling he was becoming very familiar with returning.

"The Sage of Courage is related by blood to the Golden Goddesses who created the Triforce. When he prepared his trials he probably asked one of them to send that dream, promising you a Hero would come to help you, knowing full well the person who got sent would be one who was trying to become a Hero for Hyrule... I don't know whether to call him shrewd or stupid."

Kir'iran blinked in shock, clearing his throat.

"W-what makes you say that?"

Arkai folded his arms, still frowning.

"Yeah he saved on creating a test by making me face some evil, so far from Hyrule the people there have never heard of the kingdom, but in doing so he's made you wait eighty years for a savior who might not even be able to help you. If I fail then your people are stuck waiting for the next potential hero he sends your way. He was shrewd in picking his lesson, but stupid and callous in his method."

The villager seemed stunned to silence, until after a few moments he found his voice.

"Well... maybe it was the only way he could help. If he's as important as he sounds then it's not like he could come here and help us himself. Maybe this was the only way he could help us within whatever rules he's bound to, and in doing so he also helps his own homeland be saved as well."

There was a tense silence, until Arkai snorted.

"I suppose so, but even if that's the reason, it still annoys me." He got to his feet. "I guess you'd better point me in the direction of that Orphus, then."

He was about to head out the door, but was stopped by the elder's voice.

"You'd be a fool to rush in without thinking over a plan; running in rashly will only get you killed. You need to prepare yourself, as we here in the village must also prepare."

Arkai turned to face him, confused.

"What do you mean?"

Kir'iran was the one to answer.

"If you fail, there's a chance Orphus will seek revenge against the village. We need to prepare to defend it should that happen, and that will take a couple of days. As for you, you know almost nothing of the Wolverines, their habits, or their tactics. I've watched them for a long time, and could teach you a lot before you face them, but that too will take time. Help bolster the defences of the village, and I will teach you what I know as we work. My grandfather is right, only a fool rushes in without thinking. The great Heroes of the past would have had to do the same, because courage alone does not defeat darkness." He stood up. "Now, if you've that much of an itch to do something constructive, you can come help me get the herbs for Taru. Even Heroes need to know a little herb lore, in case they find themselves without medicines or a healer. It's a lesson that could prove useful to you in the future, perhaps even save your life."

Arkai was silent, two words from Kir'iran's speech resounding in his mind. 'Teach" and 'Lesson'... '_Tread carefully, Arkai, and learn well the lessons you will find within._' That was what the Sage of Courage had said to him... He'd best heed that advice.

Standing up also, Arkai smiled and nodded.

"Sure. Lead the way and I'll happily learn whatever you can teach me."

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**Alaia Skyhawk: Sneaky, Link... Veeeeeeeeeeeeery sneaky, and in ways that many will likely not be able to guess. I **_**love**_** writing clues in plain sight like this, hehehehe XD**


	20. In the Territory of the Pack

**Alaia Skyhawk: Wow Jaron, that review of yours gave me shivers. Anyways, on to the next bit! (Note: No Arkai won't actually be using the Ocarina of Time. He'll probably see it later, but he won't actually get it.)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 20: In the Territory of the Pack

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People bustled about, some strengthening the village wall, some gathering what crops were ready from the fields, and others practicing with bows in a small now empty paddock just outside the walls. Among the latter were the grandson of the elder and the village's strange visitor; the two of them stood side-by-side taking aim at disks of straw.

Arkai drew his bow, sighting along his arrow before letting it loose. The tip thudded into the central circle on the target, clustered among several others of the Hyrulian man's arrows. Beside him Kir'iran raised an eyebrow before firing his own arrow into a similar cluster on his own target.

"You've got quite the knack for that? Who taught you too shoot so well?"

Arkai took aim again, frowning.

"My first lesson with a bow was taught to me by my father when I was eight... but it was a complete disaster. In the space of a day I went from being his hope of maintaining family reputation, to being the family shame. We've always been skilled in the bow, always children of the family could pick up a bow for the first time and hit the target every time, even if not in the centre. I hit it once that day, right on the edge, out of twenty-five arrows..."

Kir'iran winced.

"That doesn't sound too good. How did your father react?"

Arkai sighed and lowered his bow.

"He walked away and left me standing there, and didn't speak to me for three days. After that I was rarely taken seriously, and rarely given any praise for anything." He lifted his bow again and pulled an arrow from the quiver at his belt. "I started spending all of my free time out in the streets of Nae Lanai, doing odd errands for people since it seemed to be the only time I'd be thanked for anything, the only time I'd be seen as worth anything. That was how I met Jaran, my best friend." He smiled and began to draw his bow. "I confided in him about my disaster with a bow, and then and there he decided to help me. He dragged me to the practice field outside the town and stuck a bow in my hand... and then he taught me with a patience my father had never shown. I may not have been able to just pick up a bow and fire it right away, but I did master it given the time."

The next arrow thudded into the cluster on the target, the local man stopping his own practice to turn and face the visitor.

"Did you ever show your father what you'd learnt?"

Arkai's expression became pained, as his shoulders slumped and the arrow he'd been holding clattered to the ground.

"I showed him... I asked him to come into the family courtyard where my first lesson had been, and I fired every single one of twenty-five arrows into the centre of the target. When I looked to him, hoping to see him smile or nod at how well I'd done, he just snorted and turned away... He didn't even say 'well done'; he didn't say anything at all. I pretty much gave up on trying to gain his approval after that, and instead just hung around Nae Lanai dreaming of becoming a sailor so that I could sail away from it all one day."

Kir'iran came over and placed a hand on his arm in sympathy.

"You've had it hard, harder than I ever did." He looked up at the sky above the rim of trees around the village. "When I was four my father went off on a trading venture, to try and get past the Wolverines in the forest, and never came back. I grew up in the village with only my grandfather to watch over me, with so much hope placed on me to become the one to look after the family once I was old enough. Without the help of the villagers we'd never have been able to keep things going, so after I took on that burden when I was sixteen I made sure to help all of them the way they'd helped me. My grandfather may be elder of this village, but he's nearing the end of his years now. Soon he will pass away, and I know for certain the people here want me to lead after he's gone. That's why I'm helping you, and placing my faith in you... You're the hope of a brighter future for us, a future free of the darkness. I want that for them, for all of them." As Arkai turned to face him, Kir'iran sighed. "I'm sorry for putting that pressure on you, but I just want to see them all safe. Even if it means being hard on you."

As the man looked away, ashamed, Arkai smiled, his reply making the man look up again in surprise.

"That's why _I'm_ here, to protect those I care about." Like Kir'iran had done, he looked at the sky. "To be honest I never once thought about what darkness others might have been facing outside of Hyrule, never once considered that my homeland wasn't the only one under threat. Would it be fair of me to just save my own homeland, when in working to save it I could also save others." He snorted. "Two days ago I called the Sage of Courage an idiot, but now I think I understand what he wanted me to learn here in this first part of my trial."

Kir'iran regarded him solemnly.

"So what did he want you to learn?"

Arkai picked up the dropped arrow and looked at it.

"I was all set to just walk through this village and keep looking for a way back to the Temple, all set to just leave you to deal with the Wolverines on your own because all I wanted to do was save Hyrule, not save anywhere else... But a true Hero isn't like that; a true Hero will find darkness along his path, and even if it's not the darkness he's ultimately seeking, he'll still stop to defeat it before moving on with his journey." He put the arrow away and walked over to his target, retrieving the arrows there as well. "I _want_ to be a true Hero, and I _want_ to save everyone no matter where they are if I happen to cross paths with them. I wasn't totally sure I wanted it when I first entered the Temple of Courage, but now I'm certain. I'll keep trying, no matter what the Sage of Courage throws at me next."

He looked back towards Kir'iran smiling determinedly, causing the villager to nod.

He too smiled.

"I think you're ready to face Orphus... Your arm feel up to it? It's midday after all, so if we set off now we can reach the most dangerous part of the journey at the time the Wolverines are sleepy. There's not much more I can tell you about them anyways, after all I've told you while we prepared the village these past two days." Arkai nodded, causing the village man to turn and head for the nearby walls. "You wait here. I'll go get our supplies and let the village know we're leaving. They'll close up the gates once we've left."

As he walked away, Arkai remained where he was and looked around at the villagers moving about their tasks. They were willing to risk Orphus' wrath if he should fail, they had that belief in him. Closing his eyes he thought about his conversation with Kir'iran. His father hadn't believed in him and yet he'd still sought his approval; he couldn't possibly turn away from people who _did_ approve... Even if he failed, he'd die happy knowing he'd at least tried...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Two figures crept through the trees, only the faintest scuff of leathered boot on soil, or brush of leafy frond on cloth, betraying their presence. They were quite some distance from the village now, the sunlight that made it through the branches and leaves overhead now taking on the distinct golden hue of late afternoon. If everything Kir'iran had said of the Wolverines was correct, then just about now they would all be settling down to sleep before their time of hunting just as the sun would set. That gave the two of them about three hours to reach the safe point the local man had said lay at the edge of Orphus' lair.

Stopping for a moment, Kir'iran pointed to a nearby clump of fleshy-leaved bushes, bushes that gave off a rather distinct odour.

"Time for the unpleasant part of this. That plant is common in these woods, and when bruised the scent from its leaves can carry on the wind for miles. Wolverines have a very sensitive sense of smell, but after eighty years in these woods they've become used to the smell of that plant to the point they ignore it. I've used it many times to get close to and observe them, all we need to do is walk through that clump a few times to pick up the scent on our clothing and skin. It will hide us from them if we're careful not to be seen."

As they got close enough for Arkai to actually smell the plant, the potential Hero grimaced.

"Is there seriously no other way to mask our scent? I think that smell is going to make me feel sick."

Kir'iran raised an eyebrow.

"Well if you want to sneak within twenty yards of a wolverine _without_ the protection this plant's scent offers, then by all means we can miss this part out."

The point hitting home rather uncomfortably, Arkai took a deep breath and ploughed through the bushes with the villager close behind him. Three passes later the pair of them set off through the trees again, with one of them doing his best not to retch.

Holding his nose as he swallowed nauseously, Arkai glanced at his guide.

"So how many wolverines are there out there? You never actually told me."

Kir'iran cleared his throat a little.

"About a hundred, maybe a few more... I wouldn't worry too much through, since most of them will leave the lair for a few hours after sunset. We'll wait in the safe point I mentioned until they do. After that, you're on your own."

Arkai grimaced, still holding his nose.

"A hundred, as if I should really be surprised. Here's to hoping that those hundred won't come after me once I've killed Orphus... _if_ I can kill him that is. I managed four of them, just; a hundred though there's no way I'd escape from." He finally let go of his nose, still wrinkling it at the stench though. "Have you ever seen Orphus? Since you've been so close to his lair before?"

Kir'iran shook his head.

"No, unfortunately I haven't. All I can say is that he's the only one of the Wolverines that can talk, and that he's bigger than the rest of them. Any who may have seen him face-to-face have all been killed."

"Well _that's_ a comfort..."

Wincing after making his sarcastic comment, Arkai nervously checked that all of his weapons were hung in their proper places. That fight two days ago with four wolverines had taught him that a sword wasn't really the best way to deal with them. His best bet was his bow, and to stay out of range, hoping to luck that Orphus was as bad at climbing trees as his lesser cousins seemed to be.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

A hand gesture called him forward, the tense expression on Kir'iran's face telling Arkai just how crucial it was he stay silent at this point. They'd reached an area of the forest where the trees were larger and spaced further apart, an area where the tracks of wolverines were _everywhere_. Arkai crept forward, stepping in the clear spaces where his guide had stepped, having to bite back a gasp at what he saw when he reached the man's side.

Less than fifteen yards away lay three wolverines, grumbling with paws twitching as they slept. Kir'iran crept forward again, passing them, then stopping and checking before indicating Arkai should follow. They continued onwards, wolverines visible scattered all around the forest floor. They must have passed by at least thirty of the creatures before the village man stopped beside a large tree and began to climb it.

As soon as both he and Arkai were safe in a hollow hidden halfway up the trunk, Kir'iran spoke in a harsh whisper.

"We stay here until they leave to hunt. We're lucky in that at this time of year the current year's cubs go with them; if you'd shown up a few weeks ago we'd never have been able to risk this." He shifted a little, pointing to a dense cluster of undergrowth, easily large enough to have held the village they'd come from. "Orphus is in there... He stays out of sight, his pack bringing food to him. Once the others leave to hunt, you'll have a couple of hours at most before they come back. If you don't come out before then I'll assume you're dead and leave once the hunters' full stomachs make them fall asleep again. That's if Orphus doesn't decide on revenge; if that happens we're _both_ dead."

The pair of them gazing at Orphus' lair, all they could do now was wait..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Filler-ish, yeah, but for this first trial things are dangerous but simple for him. 'Go kill the big bad monster and you pass' about sums it up. Things will get trickier though with each trial :D**


	21. Lord of the Forest Realm

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Singing) Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?! Big bad wolf! Big bad wolf! Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?! Arkai's gonna freak out! XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 21: Lord of the Forest Realm

-

Two pairs of eyes, hazel and grey, peered carefully over the edge of the tree hollow in which their owners sat. Down on the forest floor some twenty feet below, a steady stream of wolverines were slipping away into the surrounding forest. Even as they watched they saw the creatures form up into hunting parties, a number of slightly smaller wolverines, this year's cubs, falling in behind.

As the flow thinned out and then stopped, Kir'iran turned to the Hyrulian man with him, his expression grave.

"You must go now. Remember you have perhaps two hours at best before they come back; so be careful but also quick. Don't dawdle out of fear once you enter his lair."

Arkai looked at that close, huge thicket; any number of things passing through his mind not least the sudden sense of terror in his gut. Sitting here waiting for the time had been one thing, but now that the time was here the urge to run away was near overwhelming... Then again with the forest outside this area now full of wolverines, running probably wouldn't be a very good idea.

Getting up in preparation for climbing down, he took a deep breath.

"Here's to hoping I don't mess up..."

As he put a shaking foot over the edge of the hollow and found his first foothold, he paused when his guide spoke.

Kir'iran gave him the tiniest of smiles.

"Think about the people you are doing this for, and how much they believe in you; like Riana... Trust me, it helps. I speak from experience."

The image of a little wide-eyed girl, mop of brown curls arrayed around her innocent smile, came to the forefront of Arkai's mind. Almost immediately he felt a little better; well he stopped shaking at least. Giving Kir'iran a nod of thanks Arkai descended the tree trunk, unhooking his bow ready to use before slowly edging towards the thicket.

The forest was deathly silent, with not a trace of birdsong to be heard among the boughs overhead. The forest floor was utterly still, no sign of animals, nothing but the occasion wind-stirred motion of a leaf. It seemed as though he could almost have been the only living creature in the world, with nothing but his own pounding heart for company. Creeping towards the thicket he began to run through the possibilities in his mind for fighting the leader of the Wolverines. Kir'iran had said he knew Orphus was bigger than the rest of his kind, and that he could speak, but that didn't give him anything more to go by than use his bow and dodge up trees as was his current plan.

He reached the edge of the thicket, pausing to glance back at the tree where Kir'iran waited. He could only hope now that what he was about to attempt didn't get the both of them, and the people of the village, killed. Taking a deep breath Arkai ducked under a low branch and eased between the bushes that edged the thicket, doing his best to remain as quiet as possible while slowly delving deeper into the glade within. The glade seemed almost idyllically peaceful, faint rays from the setting sun glistening off motes of dust and tiny insects in the air. A gently bubbling stream chuckled within its bed; the moist scent of wet earth rising from its banks to tickle his nose beneath the smell of the bushes that was hopefully still obscuring him from detection. The calm within the thicket almost made him drop his guard, almost but not quite, and it was just as well given what happened next.

He continued through the glade, eyes scanning his surroundings in search of any sign of his target. It seemed strangely empty, especially since he was now certain he must be close to its centre. He'd just began to cross the central clearing, towards what looked like a large nest of leaves, when a disgusted snort from behind him made him freeze.

"It would appear I have an unexpected visitor in my lair... How irritating, I do so hate uninvited guests..." Arkai began to turn with agonising slowness, a huge canine snout visible poking out of a large corpse of undergrowth; a snout that was easily big enough to swallow him whole. It was then a second snout appear and spoke in the exact same voice as the first. "Who sent this pup to face me? I am Orphus: leave now and I will let you live, although I cannot vouch for what my pack will do to you for your trespass here should they find you."

As Arkai watched wide-eyed, two heads emerged followed by a single canine body. The creature towered over him, as high as a three-storey house; amber eye amid golden brown fur glittering with amusement.

Arkai, who at this point was suffering from knee shaking terror, pulled an arrow from his quiver and took aim at one of the two huge noses.

"I-I am Arkai, and I'm here to tell you to leave these woods and never return!"

One head came down to eye level and regarded him.

"...Or what?"

Arkai kept the bow aimed at that head, shaking so much his arms were trembling.

"O-Or I'll d-destroy you!"

Both of Orphus' two heads reeled back with laughter.

"So you would try and hurt me? I am the Lord of the Forest Realm! That pin won't even make it through my fur to scratch my hide!"

As the wolverine continued to laugh at him, Arkai, despite his fear, felt a deep sense of anger welling up from inside. So what if he was so scared he was practically crapping himself? He came here to protect the villagers, and so should have at least been taken seriously and not treated as a joke.

Arkai adjusted his aim, eyes narrowing as he fed that anger into banishing fear, arms becoming rock steady as he prepared to shoot.

"Well then, my arrows will just have to get rid of it!"

His eyes narrowed as he release an arrow that blazed into a fiery comet to streak through the air, blasting a sizable patch of fur off Orphus' nose while the arrow itself sank deep into the beast's flesh. Orphus' laughed was suddenly choked off into a howl of anger, the immense wolverine flying into a rage and lunging towards the Hyllian.

Seeing the twin gaping sets of fangs heading straight for him, Arkai reacted out of pure instinct and grabbed something from his belt. Seconds later two muzzles ploughed deep gouges into the soil of the forest floor, while clinging to the side of a nearby tree using the clawshot in his right hand, Arkai then dropped to the branch below him and readied another arrow. He fired again, the next fire arrow, followed by two more, taking Orphus in the shoulder.

With a snarl Orphus charged at the tree, his heads level with where Arkai stood. The Hyllian quickly dodged behind the trunk and along a far branch, the entire thing shaking as two set of jaws took hold of it. Again Arkai clawshotted out of range, looking back just in time to see Orphus rip the other tree from the ground and hurl it towards him. He jumped clear of his current tree, letting off three more fire arrows before once again using his clawshot to get out of the way of the enraged beast.

This time Orphus simply threw himself into the truck to try and cause Arkai to fall, the tree the young man had picked this time being much thicker than the first, too thick for the wolverine to tear down. Arkai continued to pepper him with fire arrows, several striking close to the beast's eyes causing him to wince backwards before returning.

Sweat starting to pour from his forehead from the effort, Arkai went to send off another fire arrow, blinking in shock when a plain shaft thudded off of Orphus' fur to drop to the forest floor... He was out of magic...

Orphus, seeing this, spoke in a voice full of bloodlust.

"You precious magic has failed you, while I still stand barely harmed. You have now lost what little advantage you may have had over me, but now with nothing but simple strength to serve you, you are doomed!" Jaws darted outwards, screaming. "Prepare to die, mortal!"

In the barest heartbeat Arkai saw those fangs racing towards him, the arrow peppered face and it's glaring amber eyes drawing his gaze at the last moment. In seconds an idea came to him, one that later he'd wonder at himself being crazy enough to even try. He dodged to the left, just enough so that Orphus' right head seized the branch beside him. The next moment that head was in the air shaking madly trying to dislodge the Hyllian clinging to the side of it just below the head's right eye.

Arkai gripped his arrow-handhold tightly, feet wedged against the bases of other arrows below him where they protruded from scotched flesh. When he saw his moment, when the head's movement wouldn't throw him off, he drew his sword and jammed it deep into the eye just above him. The head shrieked in agony, the other wailing in shock. Ripping his sword free, Arkai dropped to the ground and raced out of reach of the convulsing head before turning to watch. The thrashing weakened swiftly, until finally Orphus' right head hung limp... dead.

He stared, barely believing that his crazy stunt had actually worked. Orphus now had only one head left with which to attack, and the other now useless head was slowing him down. Flipping his sword in his left hand, Arkai regarded the injured wolverine.

"Not so cocky now, huh? Who needs magic when they have courage and determination on their side?! I'll finish you off, without my magic. If you think your strength is so great then why don't you prove it?!"

Taking hold of his sword with both hands, Arkai charged towards the forest lord with a yell; Orphus dragging himself round to face him with his single remaining head snarling. That head darted at the Hyllian when he came into range, slamming sideways after him when he rolled clear. Fangs bearing down on Arkai as he ran at a tree, the jaws slammed into the trunk as surprised amber eyes watched the Hyllian man springboard off the same trunk to launch himself right at Orphus' most vulnerable point... his remaining eyes.

Arkai was flung through the air to slam into the forest floor, tumbling through fallen leaves and bushes before rolling to a stop as a heavy thud and a mournful howl filled the air. A strange shiver seemed to rush outwards, silence falling as the potential hero dragged himself out of the bushes where he'd ended up. Orphus lay at the edge of the clearing, utterly still, Arkai's sword still jammed into one of the left head's eyes. The undamaged eye was dull, lifeless... The Lord of the Forest Realm was dead...

Panting from both magical and physical exhaustion, wincing at the innumerable scraped and bruises he'd picked up during the fight, Arkai stumbled over to retrieve his sword and what usable arrows he could. He then left the clearing as the last of the day's light faded, heading through the darkness to where his guide would still be waiting for him.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"I knew it! I knew you were the Legendary Hero!!"

Arkai bit back a gasp of pain, wincing as a brown haired little girl slammed into him. It was now mid-morning, the day after he and Kir'iran had headed for Orphus' lair. Having spent most of the night in the tree hollow, with the local man treating the Hyrulian's injuries, the two had made a slow trek back through a forest devoid of any sign of the rest of the Wolverines... It would seem that with their master's death the creatures had vanished, the strange shiver that had passed with the creature's death being the likely cause of the disappearance. Here and now, back in the village, the only thing he had to deal with now was a rather boisterous little girl.

Seeing Arkai's wince, Kir'iran stepped in and lifted the girl away from him, setting her down beside her mother.

"Riana, don't be rough. He got hurt quite a bit during his fight with Orphus, so go easy on him. I've tended his injuries, but he'll still need to rest a bit."

Riana looked up at him piteously.

"But... but..."

She held up a rather limp necklace made of little white flowers, it being clear she'd wanted to give them to Arkai. Smiling, Kir'iran lifted them from her grasp before heading over to a surprised Arkai and dropping the necklace over his head.

Looking down at the string of flowers hanging down the front of his tunic, Arkai smiled at her.

"Thanks, Riana, it's very nice of you to make this for me."

She beamed at him, held where she was by her mother's hand on her shoulder.

"I'll make some more for you tomorrow! I can get the pretty flowers in the forest now, since the nasty Wolverines are gone!"

A faint chime caused everyone to pause, a ripple in the air nearby turning into a stone doorway filled with swirling light. When he saw the expression on Arkai's face at seeing it, Kir'iran knew the Hyrulian man recognised it.

"It would seem it is time for you to go, friend... Your own lands call you home now that you have saved ours. It would appear you have passed your first trial."

Arkai looked at the door, swallowing, not from nerves, but from the lump in his throat... He only been here three days, but already he would miss this place and these people; people he would likely never see again.

He sighed, walking over to the now tearful little girl and crouching down to her level.

"I guess this is goodbye, Riana. You be good for your mother, and help look after everyone for me, ok?"

Tears welling up in her eyes, Riana sniffled before replying.

"...Ok... You take care too!"

Ruffling her hair one last time and pausing to shake Kir'iran's offered hand, Arkai walked to the doorway as the villagers began to call out their farewells, stopping to wave one last time before he stepped through and the door vanished...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Aww, cute ending. On a side note one reviewer asked if Arkai would do stunts in fights, the springboard off the tree trunk was my idea in response to that. I hope you liked it :D**

**Also, for a picture of Orphus just check out my fanartcentral gallery. I posted a picture of him at the same time as this chapter :)**


	22. Another Strange Place

**Alaia Skyhawk: Second Trial! Onwards!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 22: Another Strange Place

-

In the shadows of the chamber there was utter stillness, the faint echo of a single step a fading whisper in the empty air. Swirling light shone softly through those shadows, prismic shards of light glinting off motes of dust stirred by the unearthly magical wind. Above the doorway that shed that light into the depths of the chamber, a single symbolic carving of a tree filled with an emerald glow, moments later a silhouetted figure stumbling forth from beneath it before the doorway slammed shut.

Blinking into the sudden darkness that figure frowned, before turning and glancing at the halo of green light the symbol cast upon him. Seeing it, he let out the breath he'd unconsciously been holding and slumped to the floor in relief, his bag of supplies thudding down beside him. Safe back inside the Temple of Courage, Arkai felt so relieved he could have kissed the polished blue stone floor... well, not quite.

Dragging himself to his feet he regarded the doorway opposite him and its accompanying symbolic flame, pointing at it limply and wagging his finger as though telling it off.

"If you think I'm going in there right now, you've got another thing coming."

He dragged himself to where he'd left the rest of his bags in the middle of the chamber, kicking open the bedroll he'd left among them and promptly sitting on it. Pulling a chunk of the bread he'd gotten from the villagers in the Forest Realm out of the bag he'd taken with him, he then began to chew on it, mumbling around the crumbs.

"I got two hours sleep last night after killing that two-headed wolverine, and there's no way I'm going to chance throwing myself in front of more monsters before I've slept enough so that I can see straight. Trial number two can wait a few hours, no warrior with any sense charges into battle when he can barely charge in a straight line."

With a self satisfied 'humph' he then proceeded to continue chewing on his bread, idly adding to his snack a couple of apples he'd also received during his enforced stay wherever it was in the world he'd been. Growling stomach satisfied, he then curled up in his bedroll and stared up at the ceiling; thinking about what he'd just been through.

"I wonder if door number two over there will dump me somewhere else in the world."

Tilting his head he regarded the doorway from his upside-down viewpoint, frowning.

"If it does it won't surprise me, door number one did a good enough job of that all on its own."

His gaze returning to the ceiling, he continued to frown.

"...I wonder where it leads to... I guess I'll find out soon enough."

Rolling onto his side he curled up beneath the thick blanket of his bedroll, eyes gradually sliding shut before with a gentle sigh he fell asleep.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The pale blue glow of the fairy flickered, tiny green eyes turning to regard the blue clad man who once again stood in the chamber. Yawning a little as she picked herself up from her improvised bed in one of the chamber's many small alcoves, Navi fluttered over to her partner and landed on his shoulder.

"Soooo, have a nice trip to the Forest Realm? How'd Arkai do?"

Plucking a stray leaf from his blond hair, Link smiled with amusement.

"The Forest Realm was nice, but then it usually is with that climate... As for Arkai, he passed his first test with flying colours." The Sage inspected his fingernails. "He also had no idea I was there spying on him, but then I'm far too good at remaining hidden when I don't want to be seen. Watching his Pilgrimage of Sages from a magical window is one thing, but I like to observe my _own_ tests in person. As for the final part of his test, well, the expression on Orphus' face when Arkai threw himself at his heads was _quite_ amusing to see."

A distant growl echoed through the chamber, causing Navi to flinch and raise an eyebrow.

"_He_ doesn't seem to find it that amusing."

Link sighed and shrugged.

"Well considering both of his heads got scotched by fire arrows and stabbed in the eye, I guess it's not that surprising." The Sage tapped his fingers on his chin thoughtfully. "Well, he was itching for some action just like the others, and he got it... Now he has to deal with the bruises just like Arkai has to."

Navi blinked, looking a little concerned.

"Arkai got busted up?"

Link chuckled to himself.

"Not seriously; but when the medicine Kir'iran treated his injuries with wears off he's _really_ going to notice..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

With the kind of sound a cat makes when it's gotten its head stuck in a door, the occupant of the bedroll jolted awake before jerking upright in a series of stiffened increments which were accompanied by a whole melodic sequence of yelps and gasps. Teeth gritted with enough force to crush gravel, expression equivalent to that of someone who has just gone ten rounds of sparring with the Queen's Champion, Arkai let out a strangled groan before crawling slowly to his feet and muttering under his breath.

"Note to self... _Never_ sleep on a hard floor after fighting giant monsters, and walking several miles, without stretching out properly afterwards."

Wincing he bent over and pulled a metal pot and a few small pieces of wood from his main bag and the bundle he'd brought in with him. Sitting down before starting a tiny fire in the pot, he then filled a metal mug with water and held it over the flames.

He grimaced.

"I feel like that wolverine ran over me like a wagon. Then again he _did_ slam me into the forest floor after I stabbed his second head; speaking of which..."

He slapped his head with his free hand.

"Arkai, why in the hell did you think it was a good idea to grab onto the side of the head of a _two-headed wolverine?!_ It's official, I have completely lost my mind!"

Slapping his head again he suddenly yelped, hastily putting his half-heated mug of water down before scrambling to his feet rubbing frantically at one of his calves, all the while hopping backwards.

"Ahh! CRAMP! CRAMP! CRAMP! CRAMP! Yeaack!"

There was a clatter of gear tumbling out of a bag as the bag's owner tripped backwards over it. Rubbing the back of his head from where his fall had introduced it to the stone floor, Arkai sighed before speaking with a whimper.

"Stretch out muscles first; tea and breakfast _after_..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

A newly cleaned sword hissing as it cut through the air, its wielder winced a little as he continued with the sword drill he was doing. Pieces of charcoal lay in the bottom of the nearby metal pot, the mug of tea long since emptied when it had been consumed along with a rather bland breakfast of trail rations and a sole remaining apple.

Completing the drill and sheathing his sword, Arkai turned back to his bags with a resigned expression and packed into his smaller bag a decent amount of food from the main one. He'd been thrown into the Forest Realm with nothing but a single bread roll and a lump of cheese intended as a snack... He might not be so lucky in the food department wherever he ended up next. He'd also spent at leave half a day now, resting and loosening up... Best he make his next move before he had the chance to go stiff again.

Picking up his bag and weapons, Arkai walked over to the Fire Door and stood before it, hesitating a moment before touching it with his hand. It slid open, revealing the same swirling light as the Forest Door had done, leaving the potential hero with no doubt what was coming next.

"...Let's see where I end up this time..."

He stepped through the light, yelping as his feet hit a graveled slope and he began to slide backwards with his arms pin wheeling. After scrambling to and succeeding in regaining his balance and stopping his rather ungraceful slide, Arkai looked around at just where the door had dumped him.

A steep and craggy mountainside fell away behind him, even as it reached skywards ahead of him towards a peak that released a plume of steam and smoke. It was so similar to the terrain of Death Mountain that he could have easily mistaken it for the home of the Gorons, if not for the fact that nowhere on the horizon could ocean be seen. From where he stood only undulating plains and a scattering of reasonably large hills could be seen; a pristine landscape pierced by the smoldering volcano where he now found himself... No points for guessing which way he was supposed to go...

Silently thanking himself for having the sense to pack extra food, for the barren slopes around him seemed to sport little more than a few scraggly weeds and more than a few jagged boulders. There was no sign of people though, not even a hint of anything that might have meant people were here. All he could see was rough red rock that threw the harsh glare of the sun back into his face.

Taking a deep breath he turned to the slope above him and began to climb, stumbling over the uneven surface and thanking the Hyrule Castle armourers who had made him his gloves; without them his hands would have been shredded in seconds. Alone in this new place, all he could do for now was keep climbing... and worry about just what the Sage of Courage had in mind for him next.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

"Well, Navi, time for me to make my move."

The forest fairy blinked as she was plucked from her friend's shoulder, glancing at him as he let go of her so she could hover beside him.

"Arkai's gone through the next door?"

Link smiled, nodding as he closed his eyes.

"Yes... Time for me to follow him into the Fire Realm. I don't want to miss anything..."

The smile never fading from his face, the Sage of Courage then vanished leaving his friend alone in the Sacred Chamber once more.

Navi frowned.

"If Arkai succeeds this time, let's hope the Lord of the Fire Realm is less grumpy about it than Orphus was..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Heh heh heh heh heh... Some evil hints in here, and some far more obvious than others. On to the next chappie, a new addition awaits in the wings!**


	23. Rito?

**Alaia Skyhawk: Heheheh, 'awaits in the wings'... lol the title alone should give the pun away, although there's more to it than title implies XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 23: Rito?

-

There was a rattle of small rocks tumbling and clattering down the slope, a few frantic rustles before a tiny sigh of barest relief came from above. There, clinging to the side of a cliff, was a Hyllian with a rather uncomfortable expression on his face.

Arkai resettled his grip, shifting his foot a little to reassure himself that his new foothold wasn't about to give way like the last one had. He was halfway up the side of the volcano, about thirty feet up a cliff that had blocked his way. The climb up the cliff had looked easy from below, with plenty of hand and footholds visible... unfortunately for him now that he was up here he'd discovered almost all of them were useless. He'd also just discovered that he was well and truly stuck...

Biting his lip as he frantically searched for a way up or back down, Arkai glanced at the setting sun that was about to add even more to his problem.

"Dammit, I'm going to be stuck here all night at this rate. There's no way I can climb this thing when it's dark!" He shivered, as the swiftly cooling evening air whistled past him. "Great, just great... I pass my first trial and here I am about to completely flunk the second! I can just see it now; one slip and Hyrule's would-be hope goes bouncing down the mountainside who knows how far from home!"

Almost as if to taunt him, the last of the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. He began to curse even more as the sky began to darken even more swiftly.

"Arkai, you idiot! You should never have started climbing this bloody cliff so late in the day! You complete and utter idio... Ahhk!"

Dropping several inches as his newest foothold turned out not to be so secure, he scrambled and managed to retain his grip, spread-eagled against the cliff's surface like a limpet. Self-recriminations could come later... now he needed to deal with the urge to crap himself, and also the urge to beat his head off the cliff face he was currently hanging on to. As he clung there the last of the light faded away, only the stars shining down upon him as the plummeting mountain temperatures caused him to shiver more and more. By the time it must have been nearing midnight it was only sheer instinct keeping him gripping his fragile handholds, exhaustion and hypothermia causing his consciousness to waver. Fighting to keep his eyes open, he never noticed the sound of wing beats overhead, nor the murmured thoughtful words of the flier.

The wing beats came closer, the flier descending to get a closer look at the man barely clinging to the rock. The murmurs became concerned, the flier dropping to land at the foot of the cliff to pull something from the bag tied to their waist. Preparations complete they took flight again, swooping towards Arkai and arcing upwards when they reached the cliff face causing a lightly weighted net to snag the Hyllian's gear and back. The jolt caused the fragile handholds to crumble, Arkai topping backwards into the embrace of the net before being carried off into the darkness.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The first thing he noticed was that he was warm... the second that he was lying on what distinctly felt like a thick canvas back filled with gravel. Hazel eyes opened blearily, widening slightly when a voice reached his ears.

"So you're awake... You were quite lucky I spotted you. You would have fallen to your death from the cold before much longer if I had not."

Arkai jolted upright, wincing a little as the chill he'd endured at the cliff face had brought back some of the stiffness from his fight against Orphus. He was in a domed room constructed of stacked stones, gaps between them filled with mortar to keep out drafts. At the other side of the room, sat on a smaller version of the sack-bed, was a rather odd looking man.

Orange eyes with large, dark pupils regarded him from a very pale skinned face; short hair of a creamy beige colour arrayed around that face and its beak-like nose like a halo of feathers.

Arkai frowned.

"Where am I? And may I ask who and what you are?"

The man smiled slightly, tilting his head so that the dim light of the room's single lantern caught on the tips of his double-pointed ears; he certainly wasn't from Hyrule.

"I am Tailiu, of the Nocto Tribe, and this is Lunaro, one of our villages." He raised an eyebrow. "May I return your request and ask who _you_ are?"

Arkai sighed with a hint of relief. He'd been saved, and by someone who was clearly not a person or of a people to fear. He'd lucked out once again.

"My name is Arkai, and I'm here on this mountain to face a trial of some kind. I don't know what it is though, I was only dumped on this mountain by magic around about midday." He frowned. "What I don't understand though is why I didn't see any sign of your people. I thought the mountain was deserted."

His rescuer got up, his expression thoughtful.

"Well you said you arrived midday... we do not come out of our homes to forage for game and such until after the sun has set." He pointed to his eyes, the pupils of which seemed to swallow the light of the lamp like dark pools. "We are nocturnal, flying by night. We cannot bear the bright light of day, and so only come out during that time if we must."

Arkai now seemed a little puzzled.

"Now that I think about it when I look at you, you remind me of an owl... The Rito Tribe, which are fliers like you, resemble eagles and fly during the day... I'm not trying to pry or anything, but are the Nocto born with winged arms or do they get them later?"

It was the Nocto's turn to look baffled.

"We are born with the magic of wings, although our feathers are not large enough to fly until we near adulthood... Are these Rito you speak of born wingless?"

Arkai nodded.

"Yeah, they get their wings when they come of age and receive a scale from Lord Valoo, the Great Guardian Spirit of the Sky. The magic in that dragon scale gives them their wings when they touch it."

Tailiu blinked.

"How peculiar..." He then shrugged. "Well as similar as we may seem outwardly, us Nocto and your Rito are clearly different. Enough of that though, you need to rest." He smiled wryly. "I hope you don't mind, but I came across a great many bruises when I checked you over after bringing you here so I took the liberty of applying some liniment to help them heal faster."

It was then that Arkai looked down, realising only now that his green tunic and other assorted gear had been replaced by a long loose tunic of dove-grey linen. The green tunic itself, along with the rest of his clothing which had obvious been washed, was hung near a metal stove whose stoke hole revealed the glow of the embers within.

Flushing a little in embarrassment, but more thankful for the Nocto man's thoughtfulness in washing the gear and treating his bruises, Arkai smiled.

"Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it." He looked around the small circular room, which was clearly the sleeping and living space for the Nocto man. "Um, while we're speaking of cleaning up, is there any chance I could have a bath? I haven't had a proper bath in a while, and after what I've been though during the past couple of days I'm kind of sore and stiff."

Tailiu chuckled.

"If you don't mind bathing with others, I know just the thing for that. Follow me."

He headed for the room's door, which was covered by nothing but an embroidered curtain, and stepped through before glancing back as Arkai followed. Outside of the room was a domed, narrow tunnel that was built the same way as Tailiu's room except the gaps between the stones had been left unblocked to allow fresh air to enter the space within.

As the two of them headed down the passage, Arkai paused a moment to glance through one gap only to see the glint of distant starry sky. That confirmed, he hurried after Tailiu.

"Why the passages between homes? It seems like a lot of extra work."

Tailiu raised an eyebrow.

"I believe I have already informed you that we are nocturnal." He gestured at the passage. "These permit us to move about during the day in comfort, without the bright glare of the sun hurting our eyes; the amount of light that _does_ come in through the gaps is bearable for us in case you should wonder."

The slight edge to the man's voice made Arkai wince, it had after all been a rather pointless question with an answer that was obvious. He was saved from putting his foot even further into his mouth though by the sight that came after the next few turns and junctions of the covered path.

The solid stone sides of a tunnel replaced stacked walls, hot damp air reaching the pair as they walked deeper into the dark of the passage. It was so dark Arkai had to keep a hand on the wall, barely able to see the man guiding him who had no trouble at all seeing in the gloom. Eventually Tailiu reached out thoughtfully and tugged Arkai into the left of two adjacent doors, which led through a curved wooden-walled corridor into a large room that was clearly half of a large cave.

The lamp lit cave resounded with the voices of the few Nocto men lounged in the waist-deep steaming water, their clothing left in neat piles along the outside of the wooden passage that preserved the privacy of the chamber from the tunnel outside.

Seeing the pool, Arkai immediately brightened.

"Natural hot spring, which are often found associated with volcanoes. I should have guessed you'd have one of these."

Tailiu, who was in the process of putting his own clothing in a neat pile, chuckled a little.

"Actually we have three here in Lunaro. This one is used for bathing, there is another where laundry is cleaned, and the last we leave be as our source of clean water." He stepped down into the water, waving an arm of now sodden feathers at Arkai. "Hurry up and get in then. I believe you said you had aches and pains to soak out."

The phrasing was formal, but the amusement was still there beneath them. Whatever culture these people had, they still had a sense of humour. Arkai stripped of the linen tunic he'd been loaned, settling down into the water as Tailiu introduced him to the other rather curious Nocto men present. In that time in the bathing pool, Arkai learned from the talk of the Nocto men that their people were primarily foragers. Living on the mountain they had no places they could farm, meaning they relied on what was, for him, a surprisingly wide and plentiful array of plants and game that lived on the volcano... and to think when he'd looked he'd thought the place was completely barren. Soon Tailiu got up, shaking the water from his wing feathers and drying off with one of the towels hung nearby. Once Arkai had done the same, he led the Hyllian back to his home and left him there to finish resting.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Hazel eyes were thoughtful, as Arkai peered through one of the gaps in the outer passage's walls at the late afternoon sun shining on the mountain. He'd slept most of the day, but while that time has eased his bruises it had done nothing to get him closer to learning what he was here to do. Slipping back under the embroidered hanging that served as Tailiu's front door, the Hyllian looked to where the Nocto lay sleeping on his gravel-bag bed. These people were so independent, and content with their lives... but that didn't mean there wasn't something else darker on this mountain.

Resolving to ask the Nocto man, Arkai sat down on another of the gravel bags and waited for the man to wake...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well finally got around to finishing this chapter. I'll see about finishing this arc quick.**


	24. For the Sake of the Nocto

**Alaia Skyhawk: Sorry for the wait guys, but I made one big push and FINISHED WRITING MY FIRST ORIGINAL STORY! WOOHOO! I've put a link in my profile to the teaser on my website, so if any of you guys would like to read the first chapter of it and leave a review in the Guest Book that would be great. As I now have the rather unenviable task of getting a literary agent so I can get my book published, every comment I can show them increases my chances of getting signed, so click that guest book!! Hehehehe :D**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter Chapter 24: For the Sake of the Nocto

-

Fighting back a yawn of boredom, Arkai idly checked his gear over while he waited for the Nocto man to wake. It was nearing sunset outside, and for all that he'd slept for most of the day his body still thought it was time he should be getting ready to sleep. That would be fair pointless though, since if he was to get anything done to do with the Nocto then he had to follow their schedule, including staying awake all night and sleeping during the day.

Putting his sword back in its sheath after cleaning it for the third time, he sighed and began to pace. He couldn't help but be restless. This was a trial, he knew it was, but right now he needed to find out _what_ his trial was. Muttering under his breath, he continued to pace; going out the door to peer through a gap in the wall every so often to check how late it was. Finally, when the sun was just about to set, the winged man in the room stirred.

Tailiu sat up, yawning as he rubbed the sleep from his orange eyes and glanced at the fidgeting Hyllian.

Blinking for a moment, he then spoke.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Fighting the urge to say it was evening, since for the Nocto it _was_ morning, Arkai nodded.

"Yeah." He rummaged in his bag, pulling out some of his food and holding some out in offering to Tailiu. "It's not much, but since you saved me yesterday I figure I should at least give you breakfast."

The Nocto accepted the food with a smile of thanks, nibbling on one of the trail crackers he'd been given before regarding his guest thoughfully.

"Hmm, you mentioned yesterday that you were sent here by magic. Perhaps now would be a good time to explain why?"

Arkai sat down, looking a little bemused.

"To cut a long story short, my homeland is being threatened by a great evil and I'm the one who has the potential to become the Hero we need. I went to the Temple of Courage to earn the the Blade of Evil's Bane, and it seems my trials are to be sent to other places in the world to deal with less powerful evils to prove myself worthy of it." He sighed. "So if you could just tell me if there's anything on this mountain causing you trouble. I figure I have to do what I did at the last place I was sent, and defeat some monster you might have lying around here."

Tailiu stared at him, blinking.

"Defeat Iormundas? That's why you were sent here?"

Arkai stiffened, not sure whether to be glad or dread that the Nocto had come out with a name so quickly.

"So you do, huh?" He sighed. "Tell me what you know about him and I'll see what I can do about it." He then muttered under his breath. "It's not like I have much choice if I want to get back to Hyrule..."

Unaware of the muttering, Tailiu began to explain.

"The Nocto haven't always lived on this mountain, we used to live in the forests on the plains that surround this peak. Several centuries ago however, people much like you began to encroach on our lands. They lived by day, and viewed all creatures of the night as things to be feared; thus we were persecuted."

Arkai frowned.

"They drove you off your land?"

Tailiu nodded sadly.

"The Nocto cannot bear to look at the full light of the sun, and sheltered in thick forest thickets during the day. That left them vulnerable to the invaders, who would slay them if they dared to sleep. Sleep is something most living things need though, and our people had no choice but to move to this mountain or perish. We came here because the terrain is too harsh for our pursuers to travel, but we didn't know there was already something living here." He looked troubled as he continued. "Iormundas, the Lord of the Fire Realm; that's what he called himself the one time a member of my people saw him. That Nocto was rendered blind by the blazing glow from him, and was left by him at the edge of the crater as a warning for my people. In the time since, whenever Iormundas stirrs to rage the volcano erupts and we have to flee down onto the plains. When that happens we are forced into the paths of those who took our old lands. The last time it occurred we were pushed to the brink of extinction, and I fear there are not enough of us now to survive another forced exodus should Iormundas stirr again. We ourselves would have dealt with him a long time ago if we were able, but as I said, the sheer brightness of his form would blind those of us who looked at him... We would not stand a chance."

The Nocto's expression was grim, the fear of what would happen to his people if forced onto the plains clearly weighing heavily on his mind. The Hyllian who regarded him also had a lot on his mind... If he was to go after Iormundas but fail, that future would come to these people a lot sooner than they might think possible.

Biting his lip as he pushed his fear to the back of his mind, Arkai got to his feet and began to don his weapons and gear, including the drake gorse fire tunic he'd gotten from the Gorons.

"Then it's up to me to do it for you."

Tailiu looked up at him, surprised.

"You would truly do this for us? But you are a stranger to these lands, and to us. You only met us yesterday, and now you would risk your life for us?"

Arkai took a deep breath, continuing to set his weapons in place.

"My homeland is depending on me to save it from darkness... What kind of Hero could I be if I turned away from the needs of others also oppressed by such? You and your people need help, and I'm in a position to try... So I'm going to."

The Nocto nodded once, his expression now determined with a hint of hope in his eyes.

"Then I will carry you to where the rift in the peak's rim allows one to enter the crater on foot. It was the path taken by several of my people when they came to this mountain, the group of whom only the blinded one survived. It has been much time since it was used, but it's the only way I know of to enter the crater without Iormundas seeing you."

Hanging his bow and hammer in place, Arkai checked everything one last time.

"Then you can drop me off before you do your night's foraging... Let's go."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The icy wind whistled past him as he sat in the net beneath the beating wings of the Nocto man, Arkai able to see the distant glow of fire lighting the underside of the scattering of clouds overhead. Lunaro was just an indistinguishable spec behind and below them now, Tailiu surging upwards barely seeming to notice the weight of his passenger.

Shouting into the wind, Arkai got the man's attention.

"Will it take long to get there?!"

"No. Perhaps another quarter of an hour." Tailiu looked down at him for a moment before resuming watching where he was going. "The rift is near the top, but the thermals from the steam vents on the mountain's sides make ascending by air easy. It's how we Nocto forage; riding the thermals up towards the peak before gliding back down again looking for game and plants along the way. We can make several trips during the first part of the night, before we spend the rest in our homes preserving what we find."

As if to prove his point, he swerved sideways into a section of suddenly warmer air and spiralled upwards at an incredible pace. It was clear he knew where he was going, as he remained in the thermal just long enough to gain the height to glide to the next one up on the mountainside. Upwards he continued, barely having to beat his wings except to correct his direction.

Watching the crags and jagged rocks slide past beneath, Arkai began to feel the fear he'd pushed back rising once again. This wasn't like in the Forest Realm, where Kir'iran had guided him to Orphus' lair every step. Once Tailiu had left him at the rift entrance, he would be on his own... But he wouldn't ask the man to go into that place, not a place where he would face being rendered blind. Biting back a shuddering sigh, he gritted his teeth and once again pushed back the fear; not all the way, but far enough that it wouldn't affect his judgement. The Nocto needed him to do this, their very race's survival might depend on it... and if he didn't do it, then Hyrule would likely be as doomed as the Nocto would be.

He closed his eyes, refusing to watch the peak come closer. He wanted nothing more in this world to be somewhere else, doing something else, than this... But some things were more important than personal fear, and this was one of them. He opened his eyes, gazing up at those red-lit clouds. Had all the Heroes of the past felt like this? Had they wanted to turn aside from their path? Did they, like him, keep going because they believed that it was more important to help others than to worry about themselves? He sighed; that was sonething he'd never know since all but one of those Heroes were long gone.

Tailiu continued to climb using the thermals, a narrow crevace in the volcano's rim coming into view. Soon he was gliding towards it, angling his wings carefully when he came into land outside it so as not to jostle the man he carried.

Getting out of the net, Arkai turned to him.

"Thanks for bringing me up here; it probably would have taken me days to climb it."

Tailiu looked thoughtful.

"Are you sure you want to do this? We're strangers to you, and you could be facing your death in there."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared..." Arkai took a deep breath, forcing a small smile. "Heroes must have courage, and courage isn't the absence of fear... It's the decision that something else is more important than it. That's what the people of my homeland believe, at least."

The Nocto man smiled back, nodding.

"Then I bid you good luck. My prayers go with you, as do those of all the people depending on you." He bundled up the net, packing it into the bag at his waist. "I'll return in two days... to pick you up for the victory celebration!"

His smile had widened at the last part, Arkai chuckling.

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

He turned and walked away, heading into the rift as Tailiu watched him go, and once he was out of sight, the Nocto then murmured to himself.

"Iormundas will not go easy on you, Arkai... Let's hope you have the nerve to use the only means of defeating him..."

He stepped back, vanishing into shadows and silence, as the mountain wind whistled mournfully over the rocks.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Muahahaha! Yay for suspense. I'm gonna do the next one now :D**


	25. Lord of the Fire Realm

**Alaia Skyhawk: Fire Realm Arc done! lol, took me long enough with that hiatus to finish my book. Check out chapter one of it on my website via the link in my profile, come on guys you know you want to (gazes at readers hopefully) I REALLY want to know what people think of it, and so far I've gotten one new comment/critique in the guestbook from ffnet readers since I updated the site with the final version. So could you take a look at it, pretty please? FFnet author here, about to take a leap into the ruthless world of getting a literary agent so her book can be published and appear in bookshops, is hoping for some feedback that will **_**really**_** help in getting that aforementioned agent...**

**Wow, I sound so... desperate... (sighs) Man I am so paranoid when it comes to wondering if people will like my writing or not... (hangs head and goes to bury nose in a paperback)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 25: Lord of the Fire Realm

-

There was a curse, followed by the rattle of tumbling rock, as Arkai's left foot slid out from under him into a gap in the ground. He was deep within the crevasse now, the distant heat of the volcano's crater just beginning to reach where he stood among the rocks and ruptured ground that was the path he had to take.

Bracing his hand on a rock that was thankfully cool enough to touch, Arkai pulled his foot from the hole and moved on. The crevasse, while wide at its entrance, had narrowed swiftly until he spent much of his time edging sideways through narrow openings even as he was forced to climb over obstacles. It made him wonder how the Nocto who had come here all that time ago had gotten through, then again he could suppose they did it the same way he was doing...

...With almost agonising slowness...

He stopped, panting with exertion after stepping down from another obstacle, wiping the sweat from his brow before edging his water canteen from his belt inside the narrow gap. The space was claustrophobic, combining with the heat and the unmoving air. It was not, but not yet hot enough to trigger the magical property of his drake gorse tunic. Only once it reached that limit would the tunic push it back to arm's length, meaning for now he had to endure and push on as quickly as he could in order to gain that relief quicker.

Putting his canteen back on its hook, he began to edge sideways again, forced to suck his gut in at one point to squeeze past a bulge in the rocky wall opposite him. There was no way he turn around, trapped sidling to his left. It was enough to edge at his resolve, as his mind began to run in panicked circles at the thought of becoming stuck in the crevasse unable to get free.

In the cramped space he stopped and slapped himself, cursing under his breath.

"Get a grip, don't lose your nerve. Tailiu said the crevasse wasn't too long, so you must almost be at the other side by now."

He took a deep breath, setting off again. He'd thought going into Orphus' lair had been bad, but this far by _far_ worse. In the Forest Realm all he'd had to endure was stinky plants and creeping past sleeping Wolverines. Here the stink came from his sweat drenched clothing, and he was having to edge past rocks that were beginning to be hot enough to scorch the un-gloved parts of his fingers.

It was then a boon kicked in, his tunic, the heat banished to fingertip-reach and the rocks to his front and rear becoming only warm on their surface as the tunic pushed the heat away. Sighing with relief he kept moving, his efforts paying off when he stumbled out of the crevice's other side a few minutes later.

Free of his confinement, he stretched out limbs and back that had gone stiff before looking around him. He was on a ledge that sloped upwards away from the crevasse, and when he reached its summit he gasped.

Like Death Mountain Crater the pit below was floored in a lake of lava scattered with rocky 'islands'. While nowhere near as big at the other volcano's this one was still a respectable size, at least three miles across Arkai still faced a fair hike to reach the lava's edge where hopefully his presence would draw out Iormundas.

He started down the slope, skidding and sliding on loose rocks with his heart in his mouth. No magic beans here to help him reach his destination, and so like the Hero of Time did at Death Mountain three thousand years previous he was making the scorching trek _on foot_. Soon he reached the bottom of the slope, beginning to move with more caution towards the edge of the lake less than a hundred meters away. Bow in hand, and an arrow set to the string ready, he slowed even further once he was ten meters away, every nerve on a knife-edge until a strange ripple in the lava some distance away began to snake towards him with awesome speed.

The lava at the lake's edge churned, surging upwards to part in tattered flaming ribbons from the searing scales of a _huge_ serpent.

Iormundas looked down at him with ices like ice amid flames, his scales glowing with yellow-white heat as he hissed at the Hyllian.

"Who invades my domain? Foolish man, you will burn beneath my fury!"

It hissed again, lunging at Arkai who drew his bow and fired. An ice arrow thudded into the end of the serpent's snout, turning it cold and black for a moment before the sheer heat of the crater thawed it and returned it to fiery glow in seconds.

Arkai turned and ran for cover, as the wooden shaft of the arrow in Iormundas' nose burst into flame and crumbled to ash... Arrows were out, and he was pretty sure his sword would be useless as well. Lens of Truth? No, it wasn't using illusions that much was obvious. Light Arrows?

He turned and drew another arrow, golden light blazing around the shaft before he released it to scream towards the snake. Again the arrow hit snout, but this time Iormundas didn't even blink. The arrow has no effect whatsoever.

"Aww crap..."

The head lunged at him again, missing him barely as the rattle of clawshot chain heralded the quick escape. Arkai began to think desperately. Clawshotting onto it was out of the question; there was nowhere he could hold on, and if he did then all Iormundas would have to do to kill him was dive into the lake... Yeah, bad idea. It wasn't using magic, so there was nothing to be deflected back by the Mirror Shield, and throwing rocks at it with the gauntlets wasn't likely to do much ei...ther...

He swallowed uncomfortably, dodging another lunge... He had the Megaton Hammer... and he also had two pairs of Gauntlets that could magnify the damage that hammer would do. He wouldn't even have to worry about Iormundas getting in range, the snake was doing plenty of that on its own.

A yelp disrupting his musings, as once again he was forced to dive out of the way of those scorching scales and needle-sharp fangs, he got to his feet again and pulled the silver gauntlets from the back of his belt and tugged them on. He then unhooked the hammer from his back, and swung it with all his might when the serpent struck again.

The hammer hit with a sickening thud, Iormundas' head actually deflected backwards. Shaking off the daze inflicted, the serpent then began to chuckle.

"You hit hard, puny human, but not hard enough... What a shame."

Pure white fangs lit by flames rushed at him again, biting into a shattering the rock where he'd been moments before. There was nothing for it, he had to do it... the one thing the Hero of Time had never dared to do with the Megaton Hammer... He put on the Golden Gauntlets.

Grasping the handle of the hammer anew, Arkai emerged from his hiding place to stare grimly at the monstrous snake before him, and when it lunged one last time he closed his eyes and swung the weapon with a yell...

He felt it hit, the thud from before now a horrific crunch accompanied by a single shrill shriek. He skidded backwards, stumbling as the ground around him shook like an earthquake, eyes flinging open in time to see Iormundas lifted near half his enormous length out of the lava before toppling backwards into it to sink limply into the depths... One strike of the Megaton Hammer combined with the Golden Gauntlets had completely crushed the beast's skull with sheer blunt force.

Standing there trembling in shock, Arkai dropped the hammer and removed the gauntlets, only picking the weapon up again once they were safely tucked back into his belt. Putting it back in place on his back, he then beat a hasty retreat back to the crevasse... If the battle with Orphus had taught him to face his fear and fight with all his strength, then the fight with Iormundas had just taught him _how_ much strength the Sages' weapons put at his disposal...

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

He felt numb, that was the only way to describe it. He'd gone in there to fight a monster, and ended up scaring himself at how easily he'd defeated it. Looking now at his hands in the faint light of false dawn, Arkai could see them still shaking. He hadn't just killed Iormundas, he'd annihilated him!

"Are you alright?"

Arkai flinched, looking up to see Tailiu standing a short distance away from him. He hadn't even heard the man fly down and land.

"Why are you here? I thought you'd be back in two days."

Tailiu glanced at the nearby crevasse, before returning his regard to the Hyllian.

"All upon the mountain heard the tremor, and the beast's death scream... I came back because I guessed you might come out before dawn forced me home." He paused, orange eyes unreadable. "Is Iormundas dead?"

Arkai took a shaky breath and nodded.

"Yes, he won't be bothering you anymore..."

Tailiu smiled a little, but still concerned.

"Come back to the village. You can rest, and then we can celebrate your victory."

"...No..."

The Nocto man blinked in surprise.

"Why?"

"Because Hyrule can't afford for me to waste time in pointless celebration. I have a test to complete, and I don't think it can wait." Arkai's words were solemn, and as if they were the key a portal of light appeared beside him. He looked at the Nocto one last time, and smiled. "Live a long an happy life, Tailiu. You and your people, both."

He stepped through the portal, leaving Tailiu to stare at where it had been in that moment before both he and it vanished.

Orange eyes were thoughfull.

"You're beginning to conquer fear of your enemy, but now you face the fear of yourself... Hold true to your courage, Arkai. My prayer's remain with you."

With a beat of his wings he took flight, swooping down the barren mountainside before vanishing among the shadows that faded in the light of the blooming morn.

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehe, I've been waiting to use that since chapter 12 when Taleen mentioned using hammer+gauntlets. Anyways, for a pic of Iormundas, check out my fanartcentral gallery :)**


	26. And Here We Go Again

**Alaia Skyhawk: I feel kinda sorry for Arkai at the start of this one, lol... He still has a ways to go hehehe XD**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 26: And Here We Go Again

-

He was back in the temple the door thudding closed behind him and plunging the chamber back into dim shadows. Turning and looking, he saw the flame symbol above it now shone red, another flicker of light nearby catching his attention.

The door opposite the entrance from the outside, the Triforce symbol on it was glowing...

Racing to the bag he'd left in the chamber's centre, Arkai picked it up and ran to the door, this time the touch of his hand causing it to open. A set of stairs leading down was revealed, and racing down them he opened the next door he came to and skidded to a stop.

The new chamber looked almost exactly like the one he'd just left, except for the symbols above the doors to either side; a golden spiral to his left, and a black triangle to his right.

He dropped his bag, fighting the urge to beat his head off the nearest wall.

"I have to do all that _again?!!_"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

The Sacred Chamber was near silent, but for the chuckle of the small fairy hovering in front of the magical window in the air. Feeling the air stir behind her, Navi laughed again and spoke to her partner.

"Arkai just entered the second chamber... and he's not too happy right now." She turned and looked, to find Link brushing soot from his gloves and clothes. "What happened to you?"

Link winced, followed swiftly by Navi as a rather angry hissing screech reached their ears.

"Arkai did what he had to do to beat Iormundas, but he left him in a real mess afterwards." He sighed. "At least the residue from the Light Arrow Arkai used negated _some_ of the hammer's damage, but I still had a lot of work to do to patch him up."

Navi whistled in awe.

"So Arkai really did it huh? The Golden Gauntlets and the Megaton Hammer combined... Give Iormundas my sympathies, that must have huuuuuuuuuuurt."

The screech came again, Link regarding his fairy blandly.

"Give them to him yourself..." He moved to the window, blinking at what he saw. "Oops, I need to go. Arkai is so angry at the moment that he's heading straight into the Spirit Realm... right now."

Link vanished, leaving Navi to stare at the image of Arkai opening the door beneath the golden spiral and stepping through.

She blinked.

"Wow... Glutton for punishment?"

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

Never in his life had he been as irritated as he was right now... All that, the better part of a _week_ traipsing across two realms, and now he had to do it again? He didn't have _time_ for this!

Growling under his breath, Arkai dumped the bag with his sleeping and cooking gear and went through the door on the left, his figuring that left would be first like the last chamber proving to be correct when it opened to reveal a portal of light. Ploughing through it totally without concern, he regretted it a moment later when he got a mouthful of sand.

Grains blasted against him, whipped by fierce winds, the dust choking him until he pulled his fire tunic high enough to cover his mouth and nose. Fumbling blindly, unable to open his eyes, he chanced across a rock and huddled behind it, pulling his tunic higher still to cover his face while he waited for the sandstorm to end. He wasn't sure how long it lasted, all he knew is that right now he wished he'd decided to wear that stupid green hat. Right now his hair was full of grit and being whipped about by the winds that also seemed intent on forcing sand into every gap in his clothing they could find. All he could do was cower there and pray it would end soon.

Wedged against his rock, gradually he did hear and feel the winds lessen, light gradually returning until the full blaze of the dessert sun glared down on him.

He opened his eyes, blinking away the sand that clung to his eyelashes before gasping at his sheer luck. The rock he had huddled against was at the end of a ridge of them, and in a pit at their lea he could make out the faint glint of water. A dessert well; a chance to refill his water canteen and also to wash the grit from his face.

He stumbled towards it shaking the sand from his clothing as he went. His weapons, bar his sword, showed no sign of the sand blasting they'd received, but then everything was from a Sage except the sword and were protected by magic. Kneeling at the edge of the muddy pit, staring at the water made cloudy by the storm, Arkai sighed. He'd have to wait a little while for the dust in the water to settle to the bottom, but he was in the shade here so it made sense to rest after enduring the storm. Leaning back against the rocks as he looked out at the rolling dunes as far as he could see.

"Well I put my foot in it with this one... I am such an _idiot!_ How could I just charge through that portal? I didn't even stock up my food from my other bag!"

"Wow, that _was_ dumb..."

Arkai leapt to his feet, drawing his sword when the voice reached his ears. A chuckle came from above, and he looked up just in time to see something drop on him before he found himself face down in the sand.

Spitting out the grains that had gone in his mouth, he rolled over and looked up at his ambusher before blinking. It was a boy, easily no more than ten or eleven years old, and his large pointed ears and cat-like face made it clear he wasn't a Hyllian. Staring a moment longer at this youth clad in tunic and loose trousers, Arkai gave him one last look from tawny hair to bare feet below the lacing that bound trousers to lower legs before he got to his feet.

"What's the idea with surprising me like that? Do your people make a habit of knocking over guys carrying swords?"

The boy tilted his head, amber eyes dancing with amusement.

"Well considering you were sat against the rocks, and scorpions and snakes like to live among those rocks, I figure I did you a favour by making you move away from them." The boy smiled cheerfully. "My name is Arrau, and this is the Watcher's Well. My tent is among the rocks just a little further along the ridge. It's a lot cooler in there if you want to rest away from the glare of the sun... There's also no snakes or scorpions in it."

Arrau turned and darted away, bounding over loose rocks and cartwheeling across the sand in sheer exuberance. He certainly acted his age.

Sighing in resignation, but glad he seemed to have found at least one friendly individual in this new place, Arkai followed. Maybe the boy's family could help him figure out where it was he needed to go in this land to pass this part of his trial. It didn't take him long to find the tent, but its size surprised him. It was tiny, a leather and canvas affair tethered in a small pocket between two large boulders. It didn't looked like it would hold a whole family.

When he entered it his suspicion was confirmed by the single pile of cloth that served as a bed, Arrau sat near it working on what appeared to be some sort of trap to catch small animals. Regarding that boy, who hadn't looked up as he'd entered, Arkai frowned.

"You live here alone?"

The boy paused in his work, and glanced seriously at the Hyllian crouched in the low doorway.

"I said before, this is the Watcher's Well... And I am the Watcher..."

---.--.---.--.---.--.---.--.---

**Alaia Skyhawk: Heheheheh, I love to end chapters like that XD**


	27. Multiple Solutions

**Alaia Skyhawk: Whew, finally got this done.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 27: Multiple Solutions

-

Arkai stared at the boy, a boy who after cartwheeling across the sands now sat before him as solemn and serious as an adult. Coming a little further into the tent, he sat down so he didn't have to crouch for what he felt might be a lengthy conversation.

"You're the 'Watcher'? I don't know what that means, but surely aren't you a bit..."

Arrau raised a furry eyebrow, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Young? My age is precisely the reason I _am_ the Watcher. Soon my tribe will choose and begin training another to replace me, for at best it will be another two years before I am too _old _to remain here."

Arkai frowned, his confusion written on his sand-stung face.

"Too old?"

The youth, nodded.

"Yes, too old. Why that is so, I will explain later. All you need know right now is that I am a member of the Talgara Tribe, and that a present I have decided to give you shelter. What you faced was just one side of the storm; right now we are in the eye. In another hour or so the winds will return, and if you are outside during it you might not be lucky enough to survive unsheltered again." He got to his feet, small enough that he didn't need to crouch inside the tent. "Now, help me seal the door flap again. If it comes open during the other half of the sandstorm this tent could become our tomb."

The boy strode to the flap, Arkai shuffling sideways to allow him to reach it. It was then that the potential Hero found himself being shown some simple but very strong knots to bind the flap shut, knots which ironically only took a single knowledgeable tug to undo again. As soon as that was done Arrau offered him some water and a piece of fruit that appeared to have come from a cactus. He then sat in silence until the wind outside began to howl again, before shrugging his shoulders and lying on his bed mat and going to sleep.

Still frowning at the youth's evasiveness, Arkai followed his example and lay on the floor as the tent shuddered from the winds outside. So much for lengthy conversation, he could only guess he would get answers in the morning.

* * *

The firm kick took him in the ribs, not hard enough to hurt but certainly enough to jolt him awake. Blinking in the strange blue light that lit the inside of the shadowed tent, it was only when he saw the glowing crystal in the cat-boy's hand that Arkai realised it was night.

He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before accepting the bowl of water Arrau offered him.

"When you said explain later I thought you meant in the morning."

Arrau snorted, shaking his head.

"Don't you know anything about desserts? Chances are, after talking to me you're going to leave this tent and the well, so I woke you now since it's just after sunset. By the time we talk it will be cool outside, and you can travel in comfort for a few hours instead of in blistering heat."

Arkai stared at him for a moment, before sighing.

"Point taken... So are you going to explain what a Watcher is, and why only a kid like you can be one?"

The boy quirked a smile, his eyebrow raised in what Arkai was clearly beginning to see was a characteristic gesture of the youth.

"Straight and to the point, I like that." He dropped to the cloth-covered floor, crossing his legs. "It is my duty to watch over the Temple of Sands, and the Guardian that dwells there. Spharas was once the protector of my people, but when our strength grew enough to rival his he abandoned and turned on us. Now this area of the dessert is forbidden to my people, or at least those of us Spharas sees as a threat. I'm only a child, so he sees me as no danger to him, and for that reason alone I can remain here and keep watch over his temple."

Arkai frowned.

"He's afraid of your people?"

Arrau's face grew shadowed, and sad.

"While it is true we have strength enough now that if we wished to we could destroy him, but we would never do that. He was our protector, and it was never our intention that we turn our power on him. We tried to tell him that, but he would not listen to words. So now we must watch over ourselves, but also over him in this small way. All we have to give us hope now is a promise made to us by the gods, and that promise is the reason I gave you shelter."

Green eyes met hazel, a piercing regard that actually startled Arkai to the point he stuttered.

"Y-you helped me because of some divine promise?"

Arrau nodded.

"Yes... Now tell me, am I right in assuming you came here to earn the right to proceed to the Keeper of the Triforce of Courage?"

Arkai gaped in shock.

"You know about the Triforce of Courage?"

The boy just stared at him.

"Ummm, I didn't say _that_. I've heard of it, but I have no idea what it is. It was mentioned in that promise I told you about. 'Spharas will not return to the Valley of White Sands until he has faced the challenge of the Legendary One; the one who will come seeking the right to face the judgement of the Keeper of the Triforce of Courage'. Forgive me for saying so, but it's obvious just by looking at you that you're not from around here." He chuckled. "Not to mention all those weapons also kind of give it away that you're not here for trade or sightseeing." He stood up. "Pick up your gear and follow me. We can be at the Temple of Sands in an hour if we leave now. Spharas will be sleeping, so by the time he wakes you will already be in the passages of his temple where he is too big to get to you. I'll explain more along the way."

The boy picked up a walking stave and a small bag of water and supplies, adding a small pouch to his belt as well before proceeding out of the tent with Arkai scrambling after hi. Outside the air was cool, the stars crystal clear in a sky set over sand washed with the silver of moonlight. Striding towards the summit of the first dune, Arrau paused and glanced back in a way that clearly said 'hurry up'. He didn't pause again, and all Arkai could do was follow him.

The potential hero glanced about at the rolling dunes about them, no sign of any temple but given the terrain it was quite likely hidden from view by some distant ridge in the undulating expanse. All he was able to do was keep walking, stumbling in places and cursing as his fall gained him a mouthful of sand, and get back up to once again scramble after his guide. Finally, after walking for over three hours, Arkai chose to break the silence the Talgaran boy maintained.

Eyes fixed on the back of a head framed by those large ears, Arkai called out.

"Hey, Arrau, how much further?"

He didn't need to see the raised eyebrow, he could hear it in the boy's tone.

"Wow, like the kid on a cart ride, huh? 'Are we there yet?'" He dropped the whiny edge he'd used on the latter sentence and chuckled. "Yes we're almost there. I said we'd be there long before sunrise, and I wasn't lying. Do you seriously think I would want you outside on the dunes when Spharas wakes up? Not likely, he'd come out of the temple and rip you to shreds." He stopped for a moment, glancing back with a frown before moving off again. "I should warn you that reaching Spharas will require not the strength of your arm, but the strength of your mind... The path through his temple is littered with riddles and problems that must be solved, along with a final test of wits before you can reach his inner sanctum. Even defeating him will be a puzzle of sorts, are you sure you're up for this?"

Arkai scowled at the lack of faith in the boy's voice. This boy knew nothing about what he'd been through over the past week. Grumbling under his breath for a moment, he answered.

"I can't succeed if I don't even try, so I'll try regardless of whether I 'think I'm up for it' or not. Just lead the way."

"As you will..."

Arrau's tone had been disapproving, but the expression that Arkai could not see from his position behind the boy was a pleased one. Arkai was starting to see the underlying point of all this, and Arrau was happy about it. Still striding over the dunes, with the crescent of the moon following its path across the skies, he continued to smile to himself until something other than a new dune crested the horizon ahead of them. Seriousness returned at this point, as he picked up the pace and hurried Arkai over the sands. Only once both of them were stood inside the entrance passage of the broad, rectangular colossus of a temple did he relax.

Watching as the boy slid down to sit against the wall inside the passage, Arkai frowned and stared down at him.

"You're not coming in?"

The boy shook his head, folding his arms across his chest and crossing his feet on the stone floor in front of him, barely visible in the small amount of moonlight entering the passage from outside.

"No. You're the one the prophecy talked about, so you are the one who has to go. Plain-and-sim-ple..."

The emphasis on the final words made it clear Arrau wasn't moving, meaning Arkai now had to enter the temple alone. Taking a deep breath, that's just what he did.

* * *

Stifling a curse, as he realised a blatantly obvious solution to the puzzle that had tormented him for over an hour, Arkai pushed yet another door open in the seemingly endless hallway that spiralled clockwise within the temple structure, heading ever inwards. Dawn had not long passed, a dawn greeted by a horrendous hissing screech as Spharas had awoken to sense an adult within his domain. Arkai was a blatant threat, and Spharas wasn't happy to have him as a visitor. Since then thuds had sounded overhead, as the Guardian had followed his progress, slamming into the temple roof every now and then with a roar. The anger in the roar had grown in intensity the further Arkai had progressed, until by now the potential hero was sure that the first thing Spharas would do when he saw him was try to rip his head off.

Suppressing a sigh when he reached another door, one which bore a set of numbers and instructions to identify the order they should be in and press them in that order, Arkai studied it for a moment and bid silent thanks he'd always been good at maths. Unlike the previous puzzle, one involving several shapes, this one took him barely five minutes to solve and proceed past. It was so simple in fact, and the number of puzzles he'd solved so far being so many, that the sight within the next room startled him...

He was in a square chamber that bore two doors on the opposite side, one down low, and the other far too high for him to jump to. What was he supposed to do now?

Stood there, uncertain, he got his answer from the owner of the unshod foot that scuffed on the floor behind him.

"_Now_, it's time for me to help you..."

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well, I put this off because I wanted to include actual puzzles in the chapter, but after realising that I couldn't decide what real puzzles to actually use, I just hinted a couple and churned the chapter out. On to the next one!**


	28. Working as One

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yay, next one!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 28: Working as One

-

Flinching at the voice behind him, Arkai turned sharply to stare into the solemn eyes of the Talgaran boy. Arrau had followed him? And was now telling him he was here to help?

Arkai took a step back, both confused and reluctant to allow a child to endanger themselves.

"Arrau, no, I can't let you follow me. What will Spharas do to you if you help me? I can't risk you getting hurt in _my_ trial."

The boy folded his arms, eyebrow rising as he spoke his next words assured he knew what he was doing.

"Arkai, you _can't_ reach Spharas without me... This is the 'final test of wits' I mentioned last night as we walked. A test requiring a Talgaran and the Legendary One, to work together to proceed. I never told you back there but... I already knew all of the solutions to the temple's puzzles. I've been to this room several times in the past few years, but was never able to go further because the next part cannot be done alone. You had to get this far by your own mind as well. _I_ couldn't risk earning Spharas' becoming angry at me unless I was _sure_ you were the one... So, please don't be mad at me for not saying anything."

Arrau averted his gaze, looking a little ashamed for his deception even as Arkai sighed with his expression understanding.

"...It's fine, you had your reasons, good reasons." He sighed again, a small frown creasing his features. "By the way, how do you know my name? I never told you it."

Arrau tilted his head, looking confused.

"What are you talking about? You told me it last night while we walked, though given how much you were _yawning_ I guess you were practically _sleepwalking_."

The little snort of mirth on the end of that made Arkai blush. He _had_ been rather bored last night, and he was still tired now. Shaking his head, and suppressing a yawn triggered by the reminded that he'd not slept for more than four hours in the last two days, he sat down against the wall and closed his eyes.

"Fine, I'm tired, so I'm taking a nap before we go after Spharas... Wake me in a couple of hours?"

Arrau eyed the Hyllian, who dropped into slumber so fast he never heard the reply nor saw the expression on the Talgaran's face.

"...Sure... Arkai..."

He continued to watch as Arkai's breathing drifted into the pattern of sleep, before slapping himself on the forehead... Mouthing self-recriminations for his careless slip of the tongue, even as he glanced to where he knew someone watched unseen... That, had been too close for comfort...

* * *

"So, what now?"

Two figures stood before separate doors, one tall figure before the door at ground level, one small youth gazing up at the door placed just below the ceiling.

Turning his head to glance at the Hyllian, Arrau jerked his chin to indicate the lower door.

"You go through first, and open my door. We each must open the next door placed before the other in order for us both to proceed. You got that?"

Arkai rolled his eyes, touching his door which opened immediately.

"Yeah yeah, let's get this over with."

He entered the room beyond the door, quickly spotting a crystal set high on the far wall just below the mesh that separated this lower half from the half above. He shot it with an arrow, the crystal's glowing and a grinding sound followed by the sight of something small bounding from ledge to ledge in the upper half of the room. Seconds later the door below the crystal opened and Arrau's voice called from above.

"Come on slow poke, hurry it up!"

Snorting at the temerity of the youth, Arkai went through the next door, finding himself forced to crawl under several obstacles before reaching a crystal in the floor which he struck with his sword.

"You're up, squirt!"

Once again Arrau bounded above, grunts of effort revealing the jumps he had to make to reach his crystal were harder than in the previous room. He was still quick to reach it though, and once again Arkai's next door opened allowing him to continue. The next room was even worse, forcing Arkai to squeeze through gaps so narrow he had to take his equipment off his back and carry it one-handed in order to get through. Like before he could hear the effort Arrau was having to make to get to his crystal, a yelp and a curse this time alerting the potential hero to the fact the boy had almost fallen to the mesh... and that mesh didn't look like it would be a soft landing, more likely it would gouge whatever fell onto it. Arkai began to grow concerned again for the boy's safety. Should he really have let him help?

"Your turn!

Arrau's shout sounded out of breath, but he'd succeeded in opening the next door, the next chamber making Arkai's fear for the boy become terror.

Stepping into it he was confronted by a winding ledge which passed over a pit of spikes, and on the mesh above he could see similar spikes pointing upwards from each point where two strands of metal crossed... The rooms were turning into death traps.

"Arrau..."

"Don't stop now, Arkai! We have to keep going! We're dead anyway if we don't! Now that we're in here Spharas will never let us leave. We'll die of thirst, trapped in the temple unable to leave! We _have_ to beat him or we're doomed!"

The boy's words stuck Arkai like a hammer blow... Arrau had _known_ he faced dying here if he helped him? But he'd chosen to take the risk anyway? The Talgaran child's courage shamed him, and made him frown in determination. If that boy could do this, so could he.

He stepped out onto the path over the spikes, wobbling a little now and then but making it across. Upon striking his next crystal he looked upwards, the small blur of Arrau leaping ledge to ledge appearing without a moment's hesitation. He saw the boy almost fall again, a strained gasp reaching his ears as the child levered himself onto the ledge he'd almost missed. This went on for three more rooms, Arkai's winding paths littered with obstacles and Arrau's leaps made even more hazardous by moving pendulums and traps. Just when he thought it would go on forever, his last crystal opened both Arrau's door _and_ his, letting both enter an antechamber whose walls were emblazoned with elaborate paintings and geometric patterns.

Seeing them, he gasped.

"Are those?"

Arrau gazed up at a painting, one of people with large pointed ears stood with arms raised in friendship to the immense winged cat stood over them, and nodded.

"Yes, that is Spharas. A picture of a more peaceful time, before the day he turned on the Talgara." The two of them turned to look in one last direction, the huge double doors at the far end of the chamber. "And that... is where he dwells."

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yeah, short, but compared to the other two trials so far this one was naturally less time consuming for Arkai to get through. And yes, this was a nod at Majora's Mask, hee hee XD**


	29. Lord of the Spirit Realm

**Alaia Skyhawk: BAT-TLE BAT-TLE! .... Oh, and one more thing.... SURPRISE APPEARRANCE BY ????!!! (Feel free to freak out mid-read when you read it XD)**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 29: Lord of the Spirit Realm

-

Watching as two figures each gazed at the door to the final test of the Spirit Realm, Navi allowed herself a sigh of relief that both had made it through the Trial of Two Roads. It had been tough to watch, every wobble, and every slip drawing a gasp from her, eyes wide lest something go wrong. In fact she'd been so distracted she hadn't noticed another watcher had joined her until he spoke.

"Ah, two paths each with switches opening the doors on the other... That brings back memories..."

Navi's yelp was followed by a sharp reprimand, the little fairy glaring at the grinning blond-haired spectre that had come up behind her.

"Link! I told you not to sneak up on me like that!"

The spectre chuckled, blue eyes dancing with amusement as he settled himself to sit mid air.

"And I've told you to stop calling me Link, it gets too confusing. Since you can't call me Link'aren, you're supposed to call me 'Aren. Remember?"

Navi began to grumble, crossing her arms.

"Fine, _'Aren_, I told you not to sneak up on me like that. You don't make noise when you move anymore, so it's not fair you keep making me jump out of my skin like that."

'Aren, Link'aren the Hero of Time, chuckled again.

"Well, my apologies for haunting this place... It was never my intention when I died to get stuck bound to the crushed remains of my ancestor's temple... The prospect of being trapped in a wrecked temple with the dried out remains of a former god is not a pleasant one, and if Link'iru hadn't hung around here so much, after the end of his 'life' with Mila, the Triforce of Courage would never have woken me." He smiled sadly. "And I might add, we would never have seen each other again."

Navi stared at him, suddenly wiping at her eyes and the tears that had begun to well up. She sounded exasperated, although she didn't sound like she meant it.

"Oh look, you've set me off again. When I think about how you died, and suffered trapped here until you put yourself to sleep as the only way to 'escape', and all that time I could have found you and comforted you and..."

'Aren reached out as if to cradle her in his hands, although as a mere ghost he was unable to.

"It's ok, Navi, you wouldn't have been able to enter this temple anyway even _if_ you had known my spirit was here." He sighed in frustration. "Damn, it's inconvenient when 'Iru takes off like this. The only time I can become solid is when he's close by."

Navi snorted.

"Well that's the Sage of Courage for you, although he _is_ kinda busy right now... You slept through two trials already, and Arkai has almost finished the third."

The Hero of Time blinked, the fact the far wall could be seen through him doing nothing to hide the shock and disappointment on his face.

"What? Why didn't you wake me?"

"Well seeing as after Arkai pulled that life risking stunt on Gale Island, coming within an inch of falling to his death, and you declared afterwards you were bored and were going to take a 'nap'... I left you to it."

"Navi... it's times like this I remember how much you used to, and still do, irritate me..."

* * *

Oblivious to the conversation happening beyond the magical window above them, Arkai and Arrau each took a deep breath and headed for the massive doors at the end of the chamber. For Arrau, it was the end he'd been trained for and had spent three years hoping to fulfil. For Arkai, it was the test that would determine if he would proceed to his next trial in the Temple of Courage.

...Neither of them was aiming to lose.

Reaching it, Arkai leaned on one of the huge panels causing it to swing silently outwards. No sooner than the pair had stepped into the immense courtyard beyond than a horrendous roar sent a blast of fetid breath into their faces. Spharas was _not_ happy to see them.

Gazing at the huge sphinx, whose almost serpentine flow of body into thick tail was supported by graceful but powerful legs, Arrau's eyes moved upwards past the lion maw of fangs to the golden wings that mantled angrily. Spharas was huge, nigh filling the centre of the courtyard, but therein lay one advantage they had. The courtyard had an overhanging perimeter roof supported by a colonnade of thick pillars, the gaps between which were too small for the creature to reach the pair who had just entered into this place lit by the blistering noon sun.

The Talgaran's boy's eyes narrowed, his words terse.

"He cannot get to us while we are behind the columns, but nor can we defeat him if we stay here... Arkai, I'm going to ask you to forgive me again, because I didn't just not tell you about the Path of Two Roads, I never told you the other reason I helped you." Arkai turned in shock, as the boy walked forwards until he was dangerously close to being within reach of the enraged sphinx. Arrau pulled the small pouch, the one he'd added before leaving his tent at the Watcher's Well, from his belt and tipped the crystal within out onto his palm. He then raised it high and called out. "Never think the young are not a threat, Spharas, for Watchers are always children who possess strong magic. How strong, you will now learn!"

The child's next words were a shrieked incantation, the crystal in his grasp blazing into liquid fire that blasted across the courtyard in strands. Those strands landed on Spharas' limbs, a shackle and trailing chain appearing on each leg even as a fifth strand lashed around the Sphinx's neck. That strand led back to Arrau, who with another incantation bound himself to the floor to become a living anchor for the chain leading from the collar now binding the Guardian.

Seeing Arrau wince as Spharas began to savagely jerk on that chain trying to escape, to fly away, Arkai rushed to his side.

"Are you alright?! Arrau!"

The child winced again, his voice strained as he now spoke.

"Arkai, I need you to drag the ends of the remaining chains, each to a pillar. They will bind to a column once they touch one... We must... trap Spharas. Hurry, I don't know how long... I can hold him!"

The Talgaran boy gritted his teeth, as his entire body was shook by the force of the Guardian's thrashing against the chain he held. Arkai wasted no more time, donning the Golden Gauntlets and sprinting around the edge of the courtyard. He knew going after the chains on Spharas' forelegs would be suicide so long as the creature could lunge forwards towards him, but right now Arrau was preventing the sphinx from turning around to protect his rear.

He darted out from the safety of the columns, Spharas shrieking in rage as he tried and failed to turn. Arkai grabbed the first of the rear chains, heavy even with the gauntlets, and hauled it to a column where its end expanded to wrap the pillar and pull the chain taut. Arkai now raced to the opposite forward chain, confident that the chain to the rear would stop Spharas from lunging in that direction. It took but moments for him to get that chain anchored, gaining some relief for the obviously pained child who still held the chain to the thrashing head. Knowing there was still a chance that Spharas might break free of Arrau's grip, Arkai raced to the remaining rear chain and dragged its end to a column with desperate speed. Once that and the final forward chain were bound, the mighty Guardian was trapped, wings beating savagely as it wailed in impotent anger, unable to move from the centre of the courtyard. Only then did Arrau move, dissolving the chain he'd held leaving Spharas bound by four paws.

As he staggered from exhaustion, Arkai rushed to his side to steady him.

"Arrau, are you ok?"

The boy gazed at him, and nodded with a smile.

"Yes, I'm fine." He left Arkai's side, walking out into the sunlight to stand before the Guardian who ceased screaming to glare down at him with angry amber eyes. Arrau looked up at him, unafraid and with eyes full of sadness. "Watchers are always children who possess strong magic, and it was said that only the one who would aid in you being defeated could be a true and wise leader for our tribe." He glanced back at Arkai. "Spharas was our protector once, turned on us as we grew strong enough to rival his might. Now that I have, with your help, bested him... I will release him..."

Arkai stared in shock, Spharas equally stunned as anger faded into surprise.

"What? You would release me? But what if I should take revenge on your tribe for this?"

Arrau looked up at him, smiling, as Arkai also came to stand before the Guardian to speak.

The hero was also smiling, as he realised why it was Arrau had done what he'd done; the true purpose of the Watcher.

"He's doing it because for all that you may have turned on them, he and his tribe still respect and love you. His being here is their way of showing that yes, they _are_ strong enough to best you, but even so they will never turn on you. They love you too much for that, and instead did this as a lesson to you, and not as revenge."

Spharas stared, eyes slowly shifting to look at the exhausted boy whose magic currently held him imprisoned.

"Is... Is that true?"

Arrau nodded, a whisper from him banishing the chains and setting the sphinx free.

"It is, Spharas." His eyes filled with hope, as he gazed up at the Guardian, his voice now tentative and wistful. "Will... Will you come back? Will you return with me to the Valley of White Sands, and watch over me as I learn to be the next chief of the Talgara? ...Please?"

All anger, all rage, was forgotten in that moment, as Spharas lay down and set his head upon the ground so that he might gaze directly into Arrau's eyes.

"I will do more than that. I promise always to watch over the tribe that in their wisdom chose the path of understanding, and not of war. It will be an honour to do so." Those golden eyes tilted to glance at Arkai. "I thank you, for aiding this boy in fulfilling the dream of he and his tribe. I have learnt much this day, from you, and from this child. I will not forget your courage in aiding him."

A blaze of light appeared to Arkai's right, the portal back to the Temple of Courage. Seeing it, Arrau walked over to Arkai and smiled.

"Well, looks like it's time for you to go. Thanks for not flipping out for not telling you the real reason I was hanging around outside the temple."

Arkai smiled back, reaching out and ruffling the boy's tawny hair.

"Don't mention it. You make sure to take care of your tribe, ok?"

Arrau's smile became a grin.

"I will." Arkai turned and left, vanishing through the portal as Arrau murmured to himself. "Make sure you rest up this time, Arkai. Until we meet again."

He turned away from the now gone portal, striding to stand beside Spharas before with a twitch of mighty golden wings both of them vanished.

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yes, I did it... I put the Hero of Time's ghost into this fic. I'd toyed with the idea for a certain scene later on, but it wasn't until I started 'The Life Beyond the Journal' that I decided to go ahead with it. How and why the Hero of Time Link's spirit gets bound to the Temple of Courage will be explained in that fic, so be sure to keep an eye out :)**


	30. Becoming a Shadow

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hee hee, let's see what the readers think of THIS Realm's twist :D**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 30: Becoming a Shadow

-

The magical window showed naught but the temple's second chamber, a chamber inhabited by none but the young man who walked to his abandoned bags and curled himself up to sleep. Arkai was exhausted, having had so little sleep between the end of the Trial of Fire and the end of the Trial of Spirit. He wasn't going to repeat his mistake, and was now making sure his wits would not be dulled by tiredness for his next test.

Watching as the potential hero fell into deep slumber, the spectre beside the hovering fairy nodded in approval.

"He's changed a lot, even just in the time since he left Gale Island... He's finding more and more of his courage, enough that I believe he may really be the one Hyrule needs to fight Malice."

A swirl of shifting air, which stirred Navi's hair but not that of the ghost of an ancient Hero, heralded the return of the temple's Sage, both current occupants of the chamber turning to look at him as he spoke.

Link'iru brushed a few stray grains of sand from his blue tunic, glancing at the image of the sleeping Arkai before regarding his ancestor whose spirit had become solid the moment he'd arrived.

"I see you finally woke up. I was beginning to wonder." He snorted. "For a soul who spent twenty-five hundred years slumbering in this place, you seem to still spend an inordinate amount of time snoozing."

Link'aren chuckled, now stood on the floor with Navi perched on an outstretched hand.

"Well can you blame me? It's not like there's much for me to do around here the last five hundred years since you first woke me, and since I can't leave sleeping is better than boredom." He sighed. "You still refuse to let the other Sages even know my spirit is here."

His descendant also sighed, although his was more frustration.

"Believe me, I'm _trying_ to figure out a stable way for your spirit to range beyond this floor of the temple structure. But you _know_ I can't have the other Sages coming in and out of here all the time to visit you. The temple portals wouldn't hold up to having them pass by so often, and if a portal failed then everything it leads to would fail as well. It took me a full century to set up those trials; I can't afford to have to redo any of them. I may be a demigod, but I certainly have my limits."

The Hero of Time nodded in understanding, absently petting the wings of his long time friend as he had done so often in the past.

"You don't need to explain it any further, I know you've got your hands tied." He glanced back at the window, regarding the curled up Arkai. "How much longer do you think it will take for him to reach this level of the temple?"

The Hero of Winds came to stand beside him, eyes solemn.

"Not much longer, not now that he no longer hesitates." Link'iru raised his left hand for moment, a flare of golden light followed by his setting a palm-sized golden triangle into the grip of his ancestor's spirit. "I can't have this with me for the next trial, it would be too risky. You look after the Triforce of Courage until such a time as Arkai has passed or failed the trials here... It saves me handing it to you for the Test of Honour later, should Arkai get that far." He laughed once. "Well I'll go get ready in the next Realm, have fun watching because I think Arkai will be rather upset after he enters it."

The Sage of Courage vanished, his ancestor remaining solid this time despite his absence from the chamber.

Looking down at the golden triangle he held, the Triforce piece of which he had been the first Keeper, Link'aren willed it into himself for safe keeping before both he and Navi resumed their watch at the window.

* * *

A wide yawn heralding his return to the land of the waking, Arkai slowly got to his feet with a second yawn as he began to stretch out his limbs. After the two violent battles at the ends of the Trials of Forest and Fire, the fight against Spharas hadn't yielded him any injuries at all. Grabbing a couple of apples from his bags, he munched on them as he regarded the black triangle set above the door he had to enter next. The first pair had been Forest and Fire, this time it was Spirit and Shadow. He was willing to bet the next floor would be Water and Light, completing the set of six elements; what came after those he could only guess.

Grabbing some bread this time, and chewing his way through the half-stale loaf end, he began to stuff more food into his smaller bag to take into the next trial with him. He was rested and ready to go, and that was just what he did.

He strode over to the door with the black triangle, passing through the portal within it without hesitation. On the other side he found himself stood in a shadowy forest, the branches of the trees twisted with but a few blackened leaves clinging to their twigs. Gazing around, this really did look like a Shadow Realm, grim and appearing almost cursed compared to the lush foliage of the Forest Realm.

He set off along a narrow trail through the rotting vegetation littering the ground, an icy feeling crawling up his spine making the hair on his neck stand on end. There was something seriously wrong about this forest, something tainted with oozing darkness that gleefully sapped the life out of everything it touched. He continued onwards, eyes flitting warily about in search of danger. He heard nothing but his own footsteps and the hiss of the wind among tormented branches, saw nothing but this dying forest until something unexpected came into view ahead.

Frowning, he drew his sword and shield and inched down the trail towards the glassy-black rock before him. It towered twice his own height, appearing like a huge fragment of polished, chipped obsidian, its facets flawed and rippled but for one side that was perfect and flat. Still tightly gripping his sword, Arkai approached that polished surface and looked at it, eyes widening at the reflection that stared back with eyes just as wide.

...It looked like him, at least in shape it did, but the reflection's skin was grey, its hair jet black, and its eyes glowed the red of embers in a fire. It was like a dark version of himself, shown in the strange mirror that was the rock. He relaxed a little, but not completely, moving side-to-side and watching the reflection copy his every move before he sighed. Just a freaky mirror, nothing to worry about.

He moved in to take a closer look, coming within arm's length of the polished surface. His reflection shared his thoughtful expression, until suddenly it smirked and spoke as he froze in shock.

"Too easy... _far_ too easy." A black-clad arm shot out of the mirror, yanking him through it to the strangely large chamber within. Dumping him on the floor, the dark reflection laughed and drew its weapons. "What a shame, I was expecting it to be more difficult than that. Poor little Arkai, now so confident in himself that he was _too_ confident and dropped his guard."

Arkai lurched to his feet, looking around for a way out of this place but not even the point he'd entered was visible. Gritting his teeth, he glared at red-eyed figure.

"What's going on? Who are you?"

The shadow narrowed his eyes, dark amusement on its face as its voice oozed satisfaction like venom.

"Oh nothing, I'm just your darkness playing a little game. I suppose you could call me Dark Arkai, but compared to my power it is _you_ who is but the shadow. Care to try your luck?"

Teeth still gritted, as this copy of himself swung its sword about tauntingly, Arkai tensed before darting forward with the intent to test its speed and reflexes. He didn't get the chance, it just spun out of his way and slammed him over the head with its shield, laughter ringing in his ears as he groaned and tried to get up.

"Don't... underestimate me..."

His eyes widened, as when he finally got the figure back in sight he saw it standing over him with shield raised to swing down again.

Dark Arkai smiled.

"I don't need to, I already know how strong you are." The shield came crashing down, Arkai tumbling across the floor of the shadow chamber and blacking out as his opposite continued to laugh. "Now, I think it's time to have a little fun... Time to play my game, Arkai, I hope you like it..."

* * *

Pain... why did it hurt so much? Sure he'd just been slammed over the head twice with a shield, but why did the rest of him feel like it was burning?

Groaning, Arkai painfully sat up, squinting against the blinding glare that seared his skin. He couldn't open his eyes, it was too bright, too painful. What was going on?

"This is indeed the one that killed Milly. You have our gratitude, Arkai, for capturing him."

Arkai's eyes snapped open, as he scrambled to his feet and moved towards the source of the light only to slam into the bars of a cage. Gripping them he choked in shock, red eyes going wide as they saw grey skin smoking where the beam of sunlight touched it. Standing in the doorway of the barn a short distance away he could see himself, that figure narrowing hazel eyes in the smallest of smirks as it with his voice.

"It was nothing. It is my duty to stop evil wherever and whenever I find it. Now, shall we discuss what to do with this vicious creature?"

The other figure in the doorway nodded, the light too bright for Arkai to see the man's face. All he knew, all he could see, was his own face smiling back at him, turning away with the door closing behind it while the other man spoke.

"The people of this town want retribution. Anything that could kill an innocent girl in such a savage way must be dealt with severely."

"Indeed, in fact might I suggest burning at the stake? Such a beast might rise from the grave if left in one piece... Burning will ensure it _stays_ dead..."

With those parting words the door was closed, plunging the interior of the barn into shadows much like the deep blinding horror and anger in Arkai's heart.

...His shadow had slaughtered an innocent girl... and then stolen his body leaving _him_ to take the blame!

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: MUAHAHAHAHA!**


	31. Escape as a Shadow

**Alaia Skyhawk: Mweeheeheee!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 31: Escape as a Shadow

-

What to do? What to do? Arkai found himself nibbling on ashen fingernails, pacing back and forth in the now shadowed interior of the barn. Trapped in this cage, with no weapons and no visible means to escape, he found himself facing the grim prospect of being burned at the stake.

"Damn!"

He gritted his teeth, fury smouldering inside him. Damn that Sage of Courage, and damn that dark copy! What kind of Sage leaves a cursed item like that obsidian mirror just _lying_ about? That thing had spawned the dark version of himself, and that Dark Arkai had gone on to _murder_ an innocent girl!

He continued to pace, back and forth in the few feet of space the cage allowed him, red eyes glowering like those of a savage beast in the shadows. Not only had that mirror created the dark version of himself, but it had allowed that self to swap bodies with him. It was a wonder this whole Realm wasn't plagued by people who had suffered the same, but then the forest he'd been in was dark and twisted... It was quite possible the people here avoided it, very likely in fact. None of them were unlucky enough to have been dumped right into the middle of it like he had.

Arkai sighed, at a total loss as to what to do. Was this it? Had he just failed this trail? ...If he had then he'd bet it was the most blatant fail imaginable. Not only had he failed his homeland, but he'd condemned this other land to the fate of being attacked by his dark alter ego.

Frustration and anger welled up, along with a feeling of sheer helplessness, Arkai screaming out those feelings as he flung himself to slam futilely into the bars of his cage...

Two seconds later he was nursing a bruised head.... not from the bars, but from falling face first into the dirt.

_What the heck?!_

Arkai blinked in shock, looking around wide-eyed in realisation that he was now _outside_ the cage and sat on the barn floor. Had he... Had he just walked _through_ the bars?

He got up, taking a deep breath before reaching out to the cage. His hands passed right through them, just a faint tingling to show that he was real and this wasn't some dream. The next instant his expression hardened, his resolve solidifying. He'd escaped the cage, so now he had to get his body back.

He turned, some instinct in his current body sending him to the side of the building that faced away from the sun outside. Walking through the wall proved to be pathetically easy, a handy stack of crates against the outside of the building giving him some cover from which to look at his surroundings. He was at the edge of a farming village, a village surrounded on all sides by shadowed, twisted forest. The nearby road out of the settlement was lined with wooden poles, the charms hanging from them making him shiver just to look at them. Those charms _screamed_ purification, so much so that in his current body he wanted _nothing_ to do with them.

He pressed back against the wall, but didn't pass through it. The road wasn't the only thing warded by the charms, the village perimeter was as well. Dark Arkai must have forced his way through them to kill that village girl. If he had to could he, Arkai, force his way out?

Arkai shook his head, turning his attention back to the task at hand. He had to find where his dark self was, and take his body back from it. He could feel a faint pull, a tug on his spirit that made his hair stand on end, and he was sure it was his true body. He had one problem though, and that was that from the direction of the pull, his real body was on the far side of the village... and it was a glaringly sunny day.

Gritting his teeth, Arkai edge to the corner of the barn, stopping just short of where shadow ended and sunlight began. It was only about ten yards to the next building, a stable, but for the leaden feeling in his gut it could have been a mile. His current body _feared_ the light, but if he was to get his real body back then he had no choice but to face it.

Taking a deep breath, Arkai took a few steps back for a run up before sprinting forwards towards the stable's shadow. The moment he entered the sunlight he had to bite back a scream as his skin began to smoke where the light touched it. He could feel his strength draining with horrible speed with every step, but before he could collapse from it he fell into the other shadow with a gasp of relief.

He huddled against the wooden wall, panting as the burning sensation on his skin stopped and he felt strength return. This was no good, if he kept this up he'd collapse from exposure to the sunlight before he was even halfway across the village. With a grimace he walked through the wall into the barn, coming out a moment later with a purloined saddle blanket. Draping it over himself as a shield from the sun, he checked the coast was clear before darting across the next band of sunlight to the next building's shadow.

The hunt was on...

* * *

Link watched as the blanket draped figure slipped from one shadow to the next, smiling to himself as he stood leaning against the side of a house, hidden with magic. A chuckle rising from his place of concealment, he raised an eyebrow in admiration at how quick the potential hero had used his new body to escape... A body which still had more than a few tricks up its sleeves... A body with more raw power than anything the Nae Lanai youth could have dreamed of in his life up until now... Now to see what he would do with it... How far he would _go_ in using it...

_You've faced monsters and bested them alone... Fought alongside another person and won as a team... Now you face a new foe... yourself... Fail this trial, Arkai, and it won't be your body you lose, it will be your soul..._

Brushing a strand of golden brown hair out of his eyes, Link turned and continued across the near deserted village to the mob arranged around the pyre stood waiting there... Time for the next part of this trial to begin.

* * *

The village's alarm bell had begun ringing; a strident pealing that had sent the body-swapped Arkai diving into the nearest shadow. Fifteen minutes, it had only taken fifteen minutes for someone to notice he'd escaped. Hell, they'd probably gone back to the barn to drag him out for burning and found him to be gone then. Problem now was, he had a village full of innocent people milling around between him and the sword brandishing vision of his real body.

Dark Arkai, sword held high, looked out at the gathering mob with the real Arkai's hazel eyes, his voice ringing out as he spoke.

"The beast has escaped, but it will not get far! People of Rendale, I swear to you I will hunt this monster down and exact your retribution!" The mob roared in approval, as hazel eyes looked past them to the shadow where Arkai stood. "The beast will have returned to its lair in the Shadowed Forest. Know this, I will let no creature that dwells among the cursed trees to stop me from finding it. Keep the pyre piled high! For when I return the flames of your fury will consume the beast until it is naught but ash!"

The mob still cheering, Arkai stared in confusion. His dark alter ego had looked right _at_ him, but had said he'd escaped to the forest? A sinking feeling filled him as he watched his possessed body leave the village and enter the forest... and realised something that filled him with dread.

Dark Arkai _knew_ he would escape the cage, and _wanted_ him to enter the forest... And with his real body as the hostage, Arkai had no choice but to do it...

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Ya, it's been a while, but me not had huge amounts of time for writing lately. Still, a few updates are better than none at all.**


	32. Seeking as a Shadow

**Alaia Skyhawk: Let's get this arc finished in one go :D**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 32: Seeking as a Shadow

-

The wait was sheer torture...

Arkai sighed, still trapped in the village. Faced with the open expanse between the edge of the settlement and the forest beyond, he'd had no choice but to remain hidden. Even with the blanket for cover from the sunlight, he knew he'd have been spotted if he'd made a run for it during daylight. He just couldn't risk being caught again at a time it would be so easy to stop him in his tracks. One tug from a villager and he could lose his blanket and be exposed to the light, one touch of that light and his strength would melt away like ice beneath that same sun. He was stuck until nightfall, and it was as simple as that.

Huddled in his hiding place, literally _inside_ a pile of junk stacked against a shed wall, he idly swept his grey fingers back and forth through a plank in front of him. He had to admit, being able to walk through things was kind of fun. If only it didn't come with so hefty a price.

He glanced through a gap in the pile of junk, noting that the sky was finally darkening, the sun setting. At long last it was time to make his move.

Carefully Arkai stepped out of his hiding place, the sun now obscured by the tops of the forest trees. The people of the village had returned to their homes, and the handful stood on guard would be easily avoided. He could finally go after his body, a pity Dark Arkai had gotten over half a day's head start...

Slinking away from his hiding place, Arkai abandoned his now unneeded blanket and stole through one of the village's fields, the shoulder-high stems of the maize making spotting him impossible in the growing darkness. The plants didn't stir at his passage, he simply literally walked through them, thought he quickly found that walking through something that was still living was a lot harder than something inanimate.

Reaching the far edge of the field, he dropped to the ground for a moment to rest. The drain on his energy from walking through the living maize stalks had taught him something else about this body, he couldn't just walk through monsters to avoid them... he'd have to fight if he encountered any or drain himself to exhaustion in evasion. That wouldn't have been all that bad... if he'd still had a sword.

He groaned to himself, getting back to his feet. He felt much stronger now, here in the night, but that still didn't do much for his confidence. There was so much he didn't know about this thing he'd been dumped into, what it could do, and in some ways he was hoping he wouldn't have to find out.

A tingle in the air made him wince, distracting him from this thoughts. He was very close to the village perimeter now, and the charm-laden posts that marked it. Inching towards one of the gaps between those posts, with his black hair practically standing on end, Arkai reached out with an ashen hand to touch the air between them. The moment he touched it he was flung backwards, skin smoking, to land with a thud several feet away.

He glared at the invisible barrier, anger welling up. How the hell was he supposed to go after his body if he couldn't even get out of the freaking village! The moment his fury at the barrier peaked the shadows around him intensified. Totally blocking out the light, they blasted forward and obliterated the two nearest posts and their charms, ripping a gaping hole in the barrier.

...Arkai just stared in shock.

Creeping forward, he touched the air where he had before, but nothing happened... Had he... Had this body he was in just _destroyed_ a section of the barrier? It had, and had done it with the ease of someone swatting a fly... It scared him...

Still in shock he ran through the hole and into the forest, mind racing at the destruction he'd just caused. Sure it had just been two posts and some magical charms, but deep down he could sense that it could have been one of the village houses and he'd still have flattened it like it was nothing. What the hell _was_ this body he'd been dumped into?!

"So, the Shadowed One finally gets into the forest to chase after its stolen body... You sure took your time..."

Arkai flinched, looking up at a branch above to where the tiny female voice had come from.

"Who's there?!"

A hand-sized ball silver-grey light appeared, large silvery wings protruding from it. It was a fairy, but not a kind he'd seen before, as was clear when she descended to hover at his eye level.

She tilted her tiny head, strands of dark purple hair partially obscuring her black eyes. Clothed in dark grey tatters of a dress, she looked like dark version of a forest fairy, and that comparison made him tense.

Seeing it, she sighed.

"Geeze, just because this is a shadowed forest doesn't mean that _everything_ in it is evil. Chill out, I'm here to help you."

Red eyes narrowing, Arkai continued to stare at her warily.

"And why should I believe you?"

"And why would I put myself in blasting range, of a dude who could obliterate me with a single thought, if I wasn't being sincere?"

He blinked, startled, before finally relaxing.

"...Point taken... So, who are you, and what can you tell me about what is going on right now? What the hell is that thing that stole my body?!"

She sighed, setting on his shoulder with a flutter of her wings before pointing into the forest.

"Start walking and I'll tell you, you don't exactly have time to waste standing around you know." A hand flipped a strand of purple hair out of eyes. "Well, let's keep this short and to the point. My name is Illa, and that rock I know you must have found was the Mirror of Dark Dreams; the mirror that appears when the Dark One, Baskindus, descends into slumber. A shadow dwells in that mirror, calling to the darkness that exists in whoever looks into it, creating a darkened version of that person. That shadow exists for one purpose, to wake Baskindus... and that's bad..."

Still walking, Arkai glanced at the fairy on his shoulder.

"How bad?"

She winced.

"When Baskindus wakes it's only for a short time, but during that time he has to eat... The village... He'll stomp over their protections as easily as you blasted them to bits, and take his pick from the villagers until he's had his fill... Then he'll go back to his nest and go to sleep again, and the shadow from the Mirror of Dark Dreams will turn back into the mirror again just like all the other times it's happened."

Arkai grimaced, not happy at all. Sure the villagers had wanted to burn him at the stake, but that wasn't their fault. If he didn't stop Dark Arkai they'd be massacred. It was then something occurred to him.

"So this has happened before? Then why didn't they realise that the shadow had taken my body and framed me? If they've seen it before they should know!"

Illa sighed, shaking her head.

"It's been almost four _hundred_ years since the last time this happened, they've forgotten. All they remember is some story that warns never to approach an obsidian rock in the forest, not the reason why."

"But even if they don't remember, what was the point in the shadow hurting that girl and framing me? When he left the village, he _knew_ I would escape and follow once it was dark. Why?"

Illa remained silent for a moment, her expression grim.

"Because the shadow likes to play games with its victims, especially with the one whose body it has taken. Baskindus cannot be woken by the shadow while the shadow is in its own form, the shadow has to take the body of the one who freed it. The innocent person gets dumped into a body packed with dark powers, and then the shadow plays a little game with them, gives them hope of using those dark powers to get their body back... and then laughs in their faces when he uses his superior knowledge of his true body's powers against the person dumped into it... The shadow wants you to follow, because it wants to see the look on your face when it crushes the hope out of you... Because if you don't take your body back before Baskindus returns to slumber, or the ritual to wake him fails, then when the shadow returns to the mirror your real body, _and_ the one you are in, will go with it..."

Arkai stopped in his tracks.

"Y-you mean I'll _die?_"

She winced.

"Um, yes... and your disembodied spirit will be left to haunt this forest for the rest of eternity."

If Arkai weren't already the colour of ash right now, he'd have blanched pale. He had to stop that shadow before it woke Baskindus, and get his body back before the mirror took it.

"...Let's go! Tell me the way!"

She pointed off into the trees, and Arkai sprinted away as fast as the shadow's body would take him.

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Now for the next one.**


	33. Lord of the Shadow Realm

**Alaia Skyhawk: YAY!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 33: Lord of the Shadow Realm

-

Sprinting through the trees shrouded in night's darkness, Arkai's thoughts turned to what he was about to face. He supposed he should have been scared, but when you face death by doing nothing, to face it while trying to fight back wasn't that scary. Focused on that thought, and on the battle to come, it took several twists on his ear by the fairy clinging to it before he finally took notice of what she was yelling into it.

"You'd better slow down! We're very close to the nest now!"

Arkai glanced sidelong at her, confused.

"Why, I thought getting there as fast as possible was the point?"

Illa wasn't looking at him, instead she rolled her eyes and flew free of his shoulder.

"Don't say I didn't warn you..." A few seconds later, after he stared up at where she now flew above him, he didn't see the creature baring down on him until it sent him careening straight into a tree. Coming down to hover above him, Illa snorted. "I _told_ you the shadow likes to play _games_ with his victims... Did you seriously think he'd just let you _waltz_ into the nest? Baskindus has servants, and the shadow has woken them! Now get up and fight!"

Arkai stumbled to his feet, looking to where the shadow fairy pointed, before gulping at what he saw. It was a huge lizard, twenty feet long and standing as high as his chest. Beaded black hide was near invisible in the darkness, and if it weren't for the fact it was advancing on him he'd have wondered if he were seeing things.

He shouted at Illa.

"How am I supposed to fight it? I don't have a sword!"

Rolling her eyes again, she told him.

"You're in the _shadow's_ body, stupid! Use the shadow's powers like you did to blast the village barrier!"

"But I don't know how I did that!"

Sighing in exasperation, the fairy darted to the forest floor, picked up a stick, and clouted him round the head with it. The reaction from him was instant, the moment he glared at her for the hit shadows gathered around him. Spotting them his eyes widened, before he gripped them with his mind and flung them at the lizard.

The lizard was crushed instantly, Arkai staring at the mess he'd just made, shocked by the feeling of sick glee that had risen in him as he'd done it, before he immediately threw up. Illa came down to him and slapped him round the head again, albeit this time without the stick, her voice impatient.

"Yo, Mr I'm going to get my body back! Puke later, get moving!"

He listened, getting his bearings before setting off again at a less headlong of a speed. More and more of the lizards crossed his path, and each time he slew one that horrid glee rose up. What the hell was this thing he'd been dumped into, and what was being in it doing to him... He had a sinking feeling he already knew. It only got worse when he encountered two lizards at once, some instinct in him sending him lunging into one of them to literally take control of it and use its claws to rip apart its brethren beside it before leaping free and crushing it like all the others.

Standing there, looking at it, he started to laugh before choking it off in horror. What the hell was happening to his mind? The shadow's body was eating away at his morality, changing him almost like how Jaran had been changed. Realising that, Arkai pushed the dark thoughts back. He couldn't let that happen; he was supposed to _save_ Jaran and the other Changed Ones, not join them!

The next two lizards he ignored, jumping over them and getting away from the creatures before they could give chase. It didn't take long after that before he finally reached the nest.

He skidded to a stop, gazing down into the bottom of the vast bowl-shaped clearing even as Illa returned from whence she came, her task complete. He could see the looped shape of a great black serpent, the head concealed among those motionless coils. Baskindus wasn't awake yet, but by the smirk on the shadow's face where it stood beside the Lord of the Shadow Realm he would be very soon.

Arkai began to descend the side of the clearing, shouting out to the shadow that stood there in his stolen body.

"Move away from Baskindus, and give me my body back!"

The shadow, Dark Arkai, sneered, unimpressed by the young man walking towards it in _its_ body. He pointed to the serpent, which twitched and almost unnoticeably began to uncoil.

"And why should I? Baskindus is already beginning to wake and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Besides, why give you your weak and pathetic body back when _mine_ is such a better replacement? All I have to do is leave you in it and it's only a matter of time before you succumb to the darkness in your heart."

Glaring at the shadow, the shadow that had stolen his body and now used it as a hostage, Arkai reigned in the shadows that cracked around him and flung them in a bolt at the stirring serpent.

The bolt reflected off, a sharply pointed head emerging from among the coils to stare at him with as yet still sleepy yellow eyes. The moment that gaze met his, Arkai gasped at what he sensed in that instant.

"He... He's a..."

The shadow laughed.

"Surely his name should have made it obvious, Baskindus is a basilisk. Oh what a dilemma... Remain immune to his gaze and become a monster by killing him, or try to return to your weaker form and face being killed by just a glance of his golden eyes. You like the power you have now; I can sense it. Go on, keep it and use it to kill Baskindus. I'm not stopping you."

Arkai hesitated, torn between doing just that and turning aside from the taint the shadow's power was oozing into his mind. Breaking free of that impulse, he spun to face the shadow that stood there in _his_ body and charged at it. If he risked destroying his body to stop this, then so be it.

Shadows gathered again, Arkai's will turning them into a black sword that he swung with all his might at the shadow only for it to draw his plain steel blade and send him crashing into the forest floor with an earthshaking thud. He winced as he lifted his face out of the dirt, grimacing at the pain that ran down his left side.

"How? I thought my body was supposed to be weaker than yours..."

The shadow stood over him, kicking him hard enough to draw another yelp from him as it gloated.

"You forget, I know that body _far_ better than you do, its strengths and its weaknesses. Even with me shacked with your pathetic form, you have no hope of defeating me with it. You're wasting your time."

To prove the point the shadow began to systematically beat him, seemingly totally unconcerned that it was its own true body it was pummelling, doing so until all Arkai could do was groan in pain as it walked away from him. But even as he lay there, something of the shadow's words caught his mind, giving him the will to lurch to his feet.

Stood there, glaring at the thing which stared back blandly with his face, Arkai gathered his will.

"If that's true for you, then it should also be true for me!"

The shadow smirked, rattling Arkai's fingers against the surface of crossed arms.

"Oh really? How so?"

Arkai allowed himself a small smile, as he ignored shadow's strength, shadow's powers, even the common sense that told him it was crazy to even hope to believe that was he was about to try would work. Instead he focused on that still present tug between him and his true body, and gripped it before reaching over his should as if to grasp a bow hung there.

"That body is mine to control, and it knows it..."

Hazel eyes widened, as the shadow found the stolen body's arm reaching back in the same movement Arkai made twenty feet away. Fighting that movement, but failing, the shadow gaped.

"What?! What are you doing?!"

Arkai brought his imaginary bow forward, plucking an imaginary arrow from non-existent quiver at his waist even as his real body copied him in reality. Imagined arrow was brought to string and drawn back, the shadow starting to panic as Arkai whispered.

"This..."

At his will the arrow in the shadow's grasp blazed gold, Arkai turning to point his imaginary bow at his body while his body pointed the real bow at him. The shadow only had time for one last gasp... before stolen fingers let go of the bowstring...

The light arrow screamed through the air between them, striking the shadow's body and drawing a shriek from its throat. Arkai found himself holding his bow, while a short distance away the dark version of himself vanished and the spent arrow dropped to the floor of the clearing. Any celebration at getting his body back was forestalled though, when the hiss behind him told him that Baskindus was _not_ happy.

Arkai dodged the first strike, drawing his sword and plucking the Lens of Truth from inside his tunic. Gut instinct told him it he looked though it he would be safe from the basilisk's gaze, instinct which proved to be correct moments later, but fighting with one hand effectively tied down by keeping the lens in place meant that even half-awake Baskindus threw him around a fair bit. When Arkai finally succeeded in dealing the killing blow to the basilisk's head he'd picked up a number of bruises, but they did nothing to dampen his spirits as darkness pooled nearby to solidify into a large rock of chipped obsidian.

Keeping his distance from it, regarding the dark version of himself that glared out, Arkai sheathed his sword and smirked.

The shadow continued to glare, spitting in disgust.

"Tch, you got lucky... You're still a pathetic weakling in terms of power. Your strength is still nothing compared to mine!"

Arkai laughed, once, as a portal appeared behind him.

"I don't need power... I have the faith and trust placed in me by the Queen and the Sages, and that's all I need." He tapped himself on the chest. "Add that to the courage inside of me, and even if I do fail then I'll die happy knowing that I tried."

"Hmmph, well then, I guess it's time for you to leave... Don't fall over on your way out of the Shadow Realm."

There was a hint of reluctant admiration in the shadow's voice, for all it was his enemy it had seen something in him that was worth the compliment.

Turning away from it and walking through the portal, Arkai smiled to himself.

"Don't worry, I won't..."

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehehe, next arc!**


	34. Stick in the Mud

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehehe, time to reveal some... but not all... of what is really going on...**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 34: Stick in the Mud

-

The figure that came through the portal into the chamber sighed in relief, moving to pick up bags left on floor before descending to the next level of the temple through the now unlocked central door. Reaching the next chamber, Arkai noted the symbols above the new doors to his left and right and nodded to himself.

"First Forest and Fire, then Spirit and Shadow... and now Water and Light. The Sages didn't give me any major tests because they must have known this was what I'd be facing here. Not one temple test, but _six_ in one!" He fell silent, regarding the locked door opposite him. "Though maybe seven, or even nine, since I have no idea what's waiting down there for me. He's making me earn the Triforce of Courage by mirroring the trials of the Hero of Time, a trial for each of the six Sacred Realm elements, and maybe the other two, to prove I'm worthy to be a Hero... Smart guy, and sneaky."

Chuckling to himself he set his bags down in the middle of the chamber, setting a small fire in his fire pot to cook himself something to eat before he took a well earned nap. Leaving his food to heat, he began to stretch out before pausing in confusion.

"Why aren't I stiff? I took a real beating from that shadow but I feel fine..." He stopped, beginning to laugh. "Wait, I was in the shadow's body for that, so the only injuries _I_ got were the ones from fighting Baskindus. The _shadow_ got the rest!"

* * *

In the temple's sacred chamber, a tiny figure watching through a magical window stared at the chuckling Arkai... before bursting out laughing. Meanwhile the other watcher, Link'aren, stared at her in total confusion.

The Hero of Time prodded Navi, where she sat on his shoulder.

"What's so funny? I thought the shadow was just a puppet."

Navi, still laughing so much tears were running down her face, pointed wordlessly at the Sage who had just appeared in the chamber.

Link'iru stood there for a moment, sporting the beginnings of a black eye and covered in half rotted leaves from the ground in the shadowed forest, before he limped over muttering a healing spell under his breath.

Link'aren stared at him, stunned.

"What happened to _you?_"

Noting the hysterically laughing fairy and giving her a glare, Link brought a hand to his face as he flushed with embarrassment.

"...I forgot who it really was I was beating up in Baskindus' clearing... Next time it comes that I test a would-be-Hero with the Shadow Realm, remind me to make a construct body instead of swapping theirs with my _own_."

Link'aren blinked, before snorting and beginning to laugh.

"You mean you..."

"...Yeah, I gave you the Triforce of Courage to look after because I swapped Arkai into _my_ body and gave him set access to a few constructed 'dark powers' I made for him to play with..." The Sage of Courage chuckled, seeing the funny side. "I thought putting them in a puppet body would be too much hassle to set up, and I guess I got what I deserved for being too lazy to go to the effort."

The Hero of Time smiled, still amused.

"I guess you did... I'm looking forward to seeing Arkai's face when he finds out he spent several hours walking around in the body of the Sage of Courage, and that you were walking around in his."

Sighing, as the last of his bruises vanished beneath the touch of his magic and his ancestor continued to chuckle, Link came to stand beside him and peered through the window at Arkai. Seeing the potential hero resting, he nodded.

"Good. Him resting gives _me_ a chance to recover from the effect of my own stupid self-inflicted beating. He's past me being able to really scare now, and nothing I throw at him is going to make him give up. Short of killing himself though stupidity during the remaining two Realms, he'll reach this floor of the temple very soon."

'Aren glanced at him sidelong.

"Heh, four Realm's and you've already decided he's tough enough to make it the rest of the way... So, Water Realm is next? What was your inspiration when you made that one?"

Navi began to giggle, poking the side of 'Aren's face as she answered for the Sage.

"Remember when we described your divine cousins Zephos and Cyclos to you...?"

* * *

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, even as he stretched out ready to go through the next portal, Arkai eyed up what was left of his supplies with a touch of concern. Adding all the time together, even considering the last two Realms had only taken a couple of days, he'd still been at the temple for the better part of two weeks. All of his fruit was gone, as was most of his dried meat, with what remained subsisting of a couple of bundles of surprisingly still fresh crackers and a hand-sized lump of cheese. Packing just a few crackers in with his gear for the next Realm, he just hoped inwardly that the next two Realms would give him more of a chance to forage along the way. If not, it was going to be a hungry ride back to Hyrule City if he succeeded here.

Shouldering his small bag with the crackers and his water canteen in it, Arkai headed for the door with the blue wave symbol above it, opened it, and stepped through with a tiny prayer. That prayer became a halfhearted curse... as he landed up to his knees in mud.

Sighing, as he took note of the fact he had appeared right in the middle of a misty swamp, Arkai unhooked a clawshot from his belt and aimed at the nearest of the scattering of twisted and stumpy willow trees. The tree canted a little, at the force of the clawshot dragging its owner out of the nearby mud, but other than that the tree held its footing on its moderately 'dry' ridge of earth.

Pausing to examine the coating of goo that now covered him from toes to knees, Arkai shook his head in resignation and began to pick his way through the swamp by following from one willow tree to another since it was the only path that offered 'solid' ground for him to walk on.

His boots squelched as he walked, mud caked trousers clinging to his calves in a way that had him dreaming of a nice dry inn somewhere with a fire he could sit beside. Still, he was stuck here until he'd done what he was here to do, so he might as well get on with it.

He'd been walking for several hours, with the light beginning to dim, when he found a fair sized mossy ridge rising from the sodden marsh. It was just his luck the thing was riddled with what appeared to be a swamp version of a Deku Baba, forcing him to hack his way through snapping fang-maw-ed flowers in order to reach the top. When he finally got there his patience was wearing thin enough that he was glaring at his surroundings... and that was just the expression that was on his face when a large creature waddled out of the fog to blink at him with large yellow eyes.

Arkai stared at the huge frog, totally ignorant of the pair who watched this confrontation with amusement though their magical window, and totally ignorant to the amusement hidden behind the bland expression on the frog's face as it spoke.

The frog crossed its arms and frowned, not the slightest hint showing of the inner laughter of the one controlling it.

"I don't know who you are but, with a face like that on a lovely day like this... What a stick in the mud..."

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! If you haven't figured out part of what's going on by now... hehehehehe XD**


	35. Hero? Bah! You're Just a Tadpole to Me

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehe, I am so evil... Arkai doesn't have a CLUE who is right in front of him!**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 35: Hero? Bah! You're Just a Tadpole to Me

-

Arkai stared, lost for words and almost overcome by the urge to beat his head off the nearest tree. This damp, dark, and cold day was a _nice_ day in this swamp? It if was he hoped he wasn't going to be here long enough to experience a 'bad' one. Resigned to the situation, he sighed and introduced himself to the frog.

"Um, I'm Arkai, the next Hero. I'm here as part of my trial to earn the Master Sword so that I can save my homeland."

The frog stared at him for several seconds... before letting out a bark of laughter.

"Hero? You? Bah, you're just a tadpole to me!" He came forward and poked Arkai with short, webbed finger. "Look at you! No muscle! Can you even swing that sword on your back, or is it just for show?"

Arkai gritted his teeth, biting back a retort before he could annoy what was probably his only chance of getting a clue about where he needed to go in this Realm. Instead he counted silently to ten in archaic hyllian before finally answering politely. It didn't help that his strange looking stranger had just trodden on the confidence to call himself the 'next Hero' that he'd at last found in himself.

Eyeing the frog up, he frowned.

"Yes I can swing it, I'm sure of that. So, care to tell me your name since I've told you mine?"

The frog raised his equivalent of an eyebrow.

"It's Yorkl." He turned and stalked off into the mist, Arkai scrambling after him only for a bundle to be flung into his arms through the fog. When Arkai stared at him in surprise, Yorkl snorted. "If you're going to follow me then you can make yourself useful. Hmph!"

Walking off down the slope of the ridge, absentmindedly slapping swamp babas that took a swipe at him, Yorkl didn't look back to see if the Hyllian was following. A bit put off by the assumption that he would, Arkai did follow... although he inwardly hoped one of those babas would get a hit on the frogman's fingers...

* * *

Directing an amused glance at his shoulder, unseen by the young man behind, Yorkl... or rather Link... mulled over whether or not to go easy this time on the youth from Nae Lanai. Short of deliberately taking a huge detour on the way to the 'frog village', there wasn't much he could do to lengthen Arkai's stay in this particular Realm. Then again, this Realm was about a lesson other than having the guts to charge in with weapons a'swing, so not going easy wouldn't make the lesson stick any better.

Deciding to be more magnanimous than malicious, he turned right at a fork in the swamp trail and waddled his puppet up onto what looked like a giant lump of soggy moss. This at least would be amusing, especially considering there wasn't room for Arkai up top in addition to himself.

Speaking of which, the Hyllian was now tentatively stepping onto the 'moss'. No sooner than he'd handed over the bundle he'd been made to carry than Link stamped a webbed foot and the whole clump lurched forwards out into the oozing expanse of a swamp lake. Caught off guard by the movement, Arkai almost fell over backwards, his arms pin wheeling until he managed to tumbled forwards instead to cling to the slope of what was actually a sort of slug. The slug glided out into the lake, sinking downwards a few feet leaving Arkai up to his waist in sludge while Link sat high and dry whistling to himself with a smirk. His obvious enjoyment of Arkai's predicament clearly infuriated the potential Hero, but Arkai bit his lip and kept silent... as well he should. There was more to being a Hero than just being good at fighting... Once evil was defeated and peace returned, a Hero needed to know when to use tact and keep his mouth shut if he was to make it though the proverbial firestorm of fame and politics that went with the title.

Still chuckling to himself at the expression on Arkai's face, Link reached out with his power and prodded the rest of his Water Realm puppets into life... Time to have a little more fun at the potential Hero's expense...

* * *

"Mommy, what's that skinny thing? It looks weird."

"Indeed it does. What stray oddity has Yorkl brought back this time?"

Pinned by the stares of two dozen frog people, all of which either commented on his appearance or just laughed at him without saying anything, Arkai fought back the impulse to slam his shield into several of those smirking faces. The children he could put up with, they were only young, but the parents? Was this Realm deliberately stomping on his confidence or was it just a coincidence?

He groaned under his breath, still following Yorkl through this village of wooden huts build on stilts above the quagmire below. The ride on the swamp slug had been a nightmare, a cold and claggy nightmare, and through it all the frogman had just whistled like it was some big joke. He'd been all for having a go at him, until he'd realised that Yorkl was deliberately provoking him.

Arkai directed a discrete glare at the frogman's back, though he remained silent. What was the guy's problem? He'd only just met him and yet he was constantly poking fun him. As if to prove the point, Yorkl stopped and turned to frown at him.

"Stop dawdling back there and get a move on. Young people these days, no discipline, no stamina..."

He waddled away, oblivious to or simply ignoring Arkai's smouldering glare in his direction, leaving the Hyllian to once again scramble after him. The situation was quickly growing old, Arkai almost on the point of snapping at the frog when he finally twigged what it wanted him to do.

Striding up to walk beside Yorkl, Arkai murmured to him.

"I know you're trying to make me lose my temper, and are deliberately provoking me. You want me to do something stupid in front of the rest of the villagers, maybe to get me kicked out into the swamp, maybe just because you want to make me look stupid... Don't waste your time any more, I'm not going to fall for it."

Yorkl didn't stop walking, although he did direct a short glance at the Hyllian beside him.

"You could have spoken that openly at me, and shamed me for my actions in front of my people, but you didn't... Maybe you have some sense after all..." He stopped beside a small house, waving Arkai to follow him inside. "Come on, you can dry off a bit in here."

The inside of the house was damp, as was to be expected given where it stood, as seeing Yorkl sit on a small stool Arkai copied him and sat on another of them in the home's living area.

"Why did you do it? Why did you treat me like dirt out there?"

The frog remained silent for a moment, before smiling ever so slightly.

"You called yourself the 'next Hero'... quite a boast. Hero you may eventually be, you must never forget the responsibilities that go with it. Even if you should defeat whatever evil it is you seek in your quest, you will never cease to be a Hero. It is not something you can walk away from unless you're willing to leave behind everything; your home, your family, all you've known. You will be a Hero to them for the rest of your life, which means you will forever be in the public eye, subject to their judgement on your actions and words. A bout of anger, careless words, and your people would ridicule you for years. An act of foolish contempt, arrogance, or lack of tact would yield a similar result. Take such carelessness too far and you could become permanently shunned, and potentially your family with you..."

Arkai looked stunned, before he frowned.

"Why do it? Why teach me when you don't even know me or where I'm from."

Yorkl snorted.

"There was a Hero here once, a member of my people. He slew a hydra that had been plaguing our village and was hailed for it. He grew overconfident and arrogant, and began to lord it over others as if they were inferior to him. He paid for his foolishness, when the people of the village tricked him into going into the forbidden area of the swamps." Yorkl fixed Arkai with his yellow gaze. "They sent him to his death, deliberately... The hydra he slew was but a youngster, a mere infant... The villagers sent him to fight its father."

Arkai stared.

"They sent him to fight something they _knew_ he couldn't defeat? But that's the same as murdering him!"

The frog sighed.

"Aye, it is, but that was the price he paid. He was a Hero, but forgot what it was to be one. He as much as became evil in heart and mind, such was his lack of regard for others, and the people who had given him his title punished him for it. Such will happen to you, if you forget what it is you will owe the people who praise you as 'Hero'." He shook his head... "My brother never did understand that..."

"He was your brother?!"

Arkai was aghast, the one the people here had sent to his death was the brother of the person in front of him? Seeing the look in the Hyllian's eyes, Yorkl's expression became grim.

"Aye, he was, and an utter fool... and while I didn't help the villagers send him to his death, I didn't stop them either. If he'd put common sense before arrogance, he'd have seen the trap it was and backed down, humbling himself. But he put pride first, and his death was the consequence." He regarded Arkai solemnly. "The hydra who dwells in the depths of the swamp's forbidden region has long cast its shadow over my people and these lands. Every few years a youngster will emerge from that area, feasting on the frog folk unlucky enough to cross paths with it as it leaves these lands to find a territory of its own. Female hydras are much smaller than the males; where the mother nests is unknown or we'd have slain her long ago to end the problem. The father we do know the location of, but he is too large and powerful for us to defeat. Simple spears will not work on him, for he has seven heads to the female's three, and he's heavily armoured at that. His only vulnerable points are his eyes, but good luck for any of the frog folk reaching them, he'd swallow whole any that tried. We simply don't have the weapons to fight him, and that's all there is to it."

He fell silent, thoughtful, as Arkai too mulled over his words. Eyeing the spear leaning against the nearby wall, its sharp but wooden tip, Arkai understood the dilemma. Wood would not penetrate scales, it just wasn't hard or strong enough to hold a sufficiently sharp edge, but that wasn't the case for him.

He stood up, drawing his sword and showing it to Yorkl.

"Would this do it?"

The frog twitched, looking at the sword and its razor edge before slowing gazing up at the smiling Hyllian's face. He too began to smile.

"It might... Hierdaras might also just chew you into pieces for trying. Are you sure you want to attempt it? That thing killed my brother and he was a Hero, what makes you any different?"

Arkai smiled back.

"I remember that it's my duty to the people counting on me that I at least try. I'm not doing this for fame, I'm doing it because they, and you, need me to."

"…Well said. I think you're going to do just fine..."

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehe, Link giving the unknowing Arkai a pep-talk. Little Arkai has no idea just how significant that last line is XD**


	36. Lessons to the Lair

**Alaia Skyhawk: Just to make it clear, when I say Link is saying something, all Arkai sees and hears is the puppet, Yorkl. He still has no clue who is with him.**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 36: Lessons to the Lair

-

"Get up top, and stamp lightly with one foot... and be careful not to fall off when it starts moving. When you want it to turn, tap that side with your hand until it faces they way you want it to. As for stopping, we'll sort that when we get that far."

Yorkl watched as Arkai clambered up onto the top of swamp slug next to the one he himself was upon, a nod from him and the pair of them tapped feet to set the creatures in motion. He'd managed to clear the worst of the mud off the potential Hero's clothing the night before, Arkai sleeping like the proverbial log while he the disguised Sage of Courage had watched over him. Arkai really had come a long way during the trails, had changed so much in such a short space of time. He was willing to bet those who saw this youth leave on his journey would barely recognise him in the confident young man who would, if the remaining tests went well, return to them.

Now sat atop a mossy slug gliding its way through the swamp waters of his Water Realm, he found much to admire in Arkai. Arkai had started out a young man with almost no self confidence, belittled by his family to the point he'd begun to believe that they were right, that he was a useless good-for-nothing who wouldn't amount to anything. Arkai had found his first spark of courage to defy that though, the day he'd seen the eyes of Malice in the depths of the dark mist. That tiny spark had had him defy the people of Nae Lanai, travel all the way to Hyrule City, and try to get into the castle without a courier's writ. That spark, which could have so easily been ignored, had instead been grasped in a grip determined not to let it go... and that determination had brought him here and now, to this place and through so much. The spark was a spark no longer; it was a blazing flame to push back the darkness, as Arkai had proven when he'd resisted the temptation of the 'shadow's' overwhelming power to instead choose his own far more mortal strength. Arkai was ready, and all that was left was to teach him a few useful things before he faced the final trial of the temple upon passing through the Realm after this one. Beyond that, he would be on his own. Now though, now was time to continue the lesson of the day before...

Link, using his puppet's hand, plucked a clump of moss off the slug's back and threw it at Arkai to get his attention. The moss hit the youth square in the face, prompting splutters and a glare.

"What was that for?"

The 'frog' on the receiving end of the glare laughed.

"What better way to snap you out of a daydream? Heh. Time for another lesson, and if you've any real interest in being a proper Hero after you've defeated that evil you talked about then you'd best listen. Time to learn how to deal with the fuss that you'll be in right after that if you succeed... Scenario one: You return to your homeland's capital after defeating the evil to find cheering crowds waiting for you, and you know your queen will be waiting for you in her castle. Do you take your time going there to let the people cheer you on for your victory, or avoid them completely and go straight to the queen?"

Arkai blinked, before frowning.

"Um.... go straight there."

"Wrong!" Another clod of moss hit Arkai in the face, Link tsking him off with a wag of his puppet's finger. "That was a trick question; neither of those is right. You don't hurry to your queen, but you don't dawdle either. Ignoring the people will make them potentially see you as arrogant, but slowing down to bask in their praise would be an insult to the queen. Instead you must _hasten_, not hurry, and yes there is a difference, to the castle. You must be brisk, but at the same time you need to let the people know you appreciate their praise. Smile at them a little, the odd wave, and they will accept you acknowledge them but have more important business to attend to. Does that make sense?"

Wiping muddy ooze from his face, Arkai nodded.

"Yeah, it's a compromise. Picking the middle ground so you don't upset anyone on either side."

Link smiled and nodded.

"That's right. Being a Hero you will have to do that a lot, but you won't _always_ be able to avoid insulting someone in some way or other. What you need to learn is how to lessen that insult, and make it clear you meant nothing by it. Your queen and those close to her will be able to teach you a lot about the finer points of that, but I can tell you the basics. Scenario two: You have two groups of people who have invited you to attend one of their local festivals, but the two festivals are too close in date and placed too far distant from each other for you to go to both. The festival for the first group is fifty miles from where you are and must be reached by sea, and the other is eighty miles away and must be travelled to by land. Both happen in late autumn. Which do you go to, and what reason would you give to the group whose festival invite you turned down?

Arkai began to think it through, this time wary of picking the obvious answer, but at the same time aware the frog wanted to know his reason for picking the one he did. After a few minutes, he answered.

"I'd go to the second one, and tell the first group that due to the storms common in late autumn it would not be wise to sail there at that time."

"And what would you do to lessen the insult of the refusal?"

A small smile plucked at the corner of Arkai's mouth.

"I'd offer to attend their next festival, if they would find it agreeable that this humble Hero grace the celebration of such a well regarded people."

Link burst out laughing, pleased.

"Well said! Well said! See, you do have a brain when you think about it! That would be the perfect answer. Never act cocky, and when dealing with someone displeased always try to be confident yet humble. Fine then, scenario three: A diplomatic party has come from a distant land, they hear about your much vaunted skill as a Hero and request a friendly dual between you and their champion. It turns out you are far more skilled than their fighter, so what do you do in the dual?"

Again Arkai thought it through, making himself consider the possible implications of certain actions rather than take the obvious option.

"I'd beat them, but not without making a proper dual of it. Beating them down in a few seconds could upset the delegation, but at the same time if it looks like their fighter is good enough to hold their own against me it might make them believe my homeland's armed forces aren't that much better than theirs. The delegation will see me as a representation of my homeland's military might, too strong and I might scare them into considering an attack on us out of fear of us, but too weak and they might attack thinking us an easy conquest. We need to be seen as a power in our own right, strong enough that peaceful interaction will be far more profitable than conquest, but not so strong that they see us as a threat."

Again Link nodded in approval.

"Very good, very good indeed. You've the head for this, Arkai, and that's a good thing for you in the long run. Keep your mind sharp to the ways in which different people will see your actions, and temper those actions for the good of your homeland. Do that and I think you will manage just fine."

Arkai looked pleased at the praise, but at the same time wasn't letting it go to his head. Instead, he asked something that had puzzled him since this lesson of sorts had begun.

"Hey Yorkl, how do you know all this anyway? Your village isn't that big, and being in the middle of the swamp I wouldn't have thought you'd get many diplomatic visitors."

Lucky for Link he'd expected this question to crop up, and had long ago prepared a story to cover for it.

"When you've been in a castle where the ladies cower from you out of disgust, because they think you'll slime their hair or dresses, you learn a thing or two about diplomacy." Arkai looked baffled, Link chuckling. "I travelled to the neighbouring lands many years ago, to seek aid in dealing with Hierdaras. I lived in residence at the castle of their king for three years, doing my best to negotiate either steel tips for my people's spears or, failing that, a decent sized force of fighters to come to our lands and help us defeat him... In the end they refused on both options, them unwilling to give us either steel we might use against them, or fighters we might steal the weapons and armour from. In the end I had no choice but to return home to my village. Even though I failed, my people respected me for my effort, which is why I didn't lose any of their regard for me when my brother went the way he did. Those three years may have proved futile, but I learnt a lot from them. From them, and from my brother's folly."

Arkai took a deep breath, somewhat awed.

"Seems to me you're more of a Hero to your people than your brother was. You may have failed in the end, but you never forgot your duty to them." He grinned. "Besides, now you _haven't_ failed. You've _gotten _help against Hierdaras, me, and while I can't guarantee I'll beat him you can be sure as hell I'll give it a damn good try."

This _did_ catch Link off guard, so much so that in his guise as Yorkl he couldn't help but get a tad emotional at those selfless words.

"You do me proud, Arkai. I'm _honoured_ to have gotten this chance to know you."

Silence fell between them, Arkai mulling over what he'd just been taught and Link mulling over just how much the young man had begun to exceed his expectations. And as the pair of them reached the point where they would part ways and Arkai continue alone, he thought again at how much there truly was to admire about this young man.

_A man more than worthy of the title of Hero, and one my ancestor Kaiayn would be proud to have wield his creation the Master Sword._

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehe, this has been as much a lesson for Link as for Arkai :)**


	37. Lord of the Water Realm

**Alaia Skyhawk: CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!**

**-**

**Also, I know I keep saying this but sorry for the wait. I've been proofreading and editing my book to its final manuscript, ready to start sending to literary agents in the hope one of them will sign me on and get it published, and it took a while to finish. If any of you haven't checked out my website (click the homepage link on my profile page, or the link I pasted near the top) and would like to read the teaser then please do. All comments on it in the guest book are much appreciated, as they will hopefully help me to get an agent. With any luck in a couple of years time, after I've gotten an agent and book's through processing, my book will be in bookshops *crosses fingers and everything else***

**-**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 37: Lord of the Water Realm

-

The sound of splashing mud and water, as he'd trudged through it towards what he knew would be the conclusion of this Realm's trial, had gradually given way to the thud of drier earth and stone. Just as Yorkl had described, Arkai found himself climbing the gradual rise that marked the rim of Heirdaras' lair. The creature apparently lived in the well of a natural spring, the ridge of rocky earth keeping the water within clear of the murkiness of the swamp beyond, while the water itself trickled outwards through the ground in places to feed the wetness of the surrounding lands.

Taking a deep breath as he saw the top of the ridge just a short ways ahead, Arkai neared one such rivulet and paused to fill his water bottle. He wasn't scared, not anymore, though he supposed _some_ fear would kick in when he finally came face-to-face with the beast. Yorkl's words of advice, and the story of his brother's folly, had had a deep impact on the would-be Hero. He would remember that lesson, and be sure not to make that mistake. Thinking on it now, it made it easy to understand why the Sage of Courage, when he'd been the Hero of Winds before his awakening, had gone to such efforts to be treated no differently than any other man. He had shunned pride, and instead put himself to continuing to help those around him, and even then had still managed to achieve the more ordinary part of life that was marrying and having a family. He'd balanced those myriad paths of his life into one whole, and come out of it a man who all admired and respected for all the right reasons. Arkai could only hope that, should he defeat Malice, he could do even half as well as the Sage had done.

His bottle now full, Arkai fastened it back to his belt and kept going, striding up the last of the slope to stop at its peak. True to Yorkl's words the land within dropped away to form a vast bowl of earth and rock, filled within by crystal clear waters and a scattering of rocks and tiny islands. Another difficulty in fighting Heirdaras was now apparent... those wishing to attack him had to _swim_ to where he nested. Well, now was time for him to literally get his feet wet yet again.

Arkai carefully descended the slope to the water's edge, mindful of every noise he made. He wanted to get as close to the hydra as he could before it detected him. If the thing really did have seven heads he wanted every advantage surprise would give him in dealing with them.

Reaching the water, he eased out into it and began to swim as silently as he could burdened by all his gear. He'd stop to rest on some of the tiny islands along the way... no sense in reaching Heirdaras out of breath.

* * *

A short distance away, hidden from sight by illusion and mist, Link watched as Arkai slowly closed in on the currently sleeping Guardian. Four was the number of Guardians Arkai had yet defeated, four the number who would now lend their aid if it became needed in the battle against Malice. Two more was the number of those who he had yet to prove himself to, and Heirdaras was by far the harder of the two to best. Arkai would have to use his head as well as his speed... if he didn't then the hydra was about to get a snack.

Link followed him, his puppet 'Yorkl' abandoned out in the swamp now that he no longer needed it. Arkai was so close to the end now, so close to the end of the trials of the Temple of Courage. In five hundred years of plans and preparations, time spent building these Realms and the tests within them, he was actually finding himself anxious to see how this first potential Hero to face them would pan out. Arkai was so close now; Link almost wanted to bite his nails at wondering if he'd make it through the rest, or fail spectacularly at the last few hurdles. Failure would mean dark times for Hyrule, until such a time as another potential Hero would arise. If that happened, Hyrule and its people would forever be scarred by Malice and its dark intentions. Not even the Sages would be able to prevent that lasting harm, shackled as they were by the laws of the Balance. They would do what they could to shield the people, but apart from that they would have no choice but to bide their time until another rose to face the darkness.

Shaking aside those grim thoughts, Link took a deep breath to settle himself and continued to follow the other Hylian. All he could do for now was watch...

* * *

It had emerged into view from the faint mist ahead, the sight of scaled coils partially submerged in clear waters. Confronted by the sleeping Heirdaras, Arkai had continued his slow and careful swim, pulling himself carefully up onto a rock close to the beast and taking his bow from his back. One head of the seven was in clear in view, the others partially or totally concealed by each other's necks. It didn't matter though... one shot was all he was going to get before a very angry hydra woke up with a desire to chew him into little pieces.

Kneeling on his rock to steady himself, Arkai fitted an arrow to his bow and drew it. No magic, just a mundane arrow with a razor sharp point on it aimed at an eye closed in slumber, an eye set in a head half the size of a small cottage.

Heirdaras... was huge.

Biting his lip nervously, the fear he'd expected finally starting to kick in, Arkai adjusted his aim one last time and fired. The arrow whistled though the damp air and slammed through the lid of the closed eye, the fact that Arkai had fired from just twenty yards away when the bow's range was over a hundred and fifty meaning it did what he'd hoped. The slender shaft went through the eye into the skull beyond, killing the head it belonged to even as the remaining six jolted awake with a scream of rage.

Arkai stood up, his mouth suddenly dry as six sets of fangs were bared at him, Heirdaras towering over him. One head lunged at him, and in blind instinct he jumped backwards and fired an ice arrow at it where it struck and smashed the rock he'd been on.

The water around the rock and the partially submerged head froze solid, a startled squeal revealing the head was trapped. Hearing it, Arkai scrambled to his feet from where he'd landed on this sudden platform of ice, drawing his sword and jamming it through one of the head's eyes. Startled squeal became earth-shattering shriek, as with another head down the other five all lashed out at him.

Arkai swore, running across his patch of ice while readying another ice arrow, taking cue from his first accidental platform to use more of them to create solid 'ground' for him to move on. Behind him the ice where he'd been was shattered, water sloshing up from below to splash at his heels. Weighed down by two dead heads and their necks, the hydra couldn't follow far, and reaching the edge of its range Arkai did something he hadn't done since the Realm of Fire.

Golden Gauntlets were pulled on, a hammer lifted from where it hung on his back, Arkai reversing his direction in time to see a tooth-filled maw bearing down on him. He struck out with the hammer, putting all his strength into the swing, the attacking head half crushed by the impact even as the force slammed it into and killed the head that had been lunging down behind it.

Only three heads were left, and they were _not_ happy. Now trapped in place by four dead heads, Heirdaras hissed with its central one before it did something the Hylian fighting it hadn't known it could do... It spat blue fire at him.

Arkai yelped as he slid across his ice to hide behind a rock, the white sheet beneath him sprouting frost flowers as the moisture in the suddenly icy air froze on its surface. The hydra was now savagely defending its remaining heads, and there was no way it was going to give him another chance to use the hammer again.

He returned it to his back, considering his remaining options. Arrows would just be blasted out of the air, the Lens of Truth wouldn't help, and his hammer wasn't going to work again. Shoving gauntlets back under his belt, he plucked one of his clawshots from it and jammed it into a crack in the side of his rock, he then made a mad dash to another rock nearby, and repeated it with his other clawshot even as another burst of icy flames licked at him. He then came into the open, covering himself with his mirror shield and praying.

He felt the flames hit, a crystal whine reaching his ears as the shield absorbed it. Heirdaras, startled by the disappearance of its attack, hissed at that mirrored defence. Taking his holding the shield to mean he didn't have the hammer out right now, it sent its two remaining side heads at him to rip his shield away from him.

Arkai heard them coming, standing straight as they came at him before throwing the pieces of rock he'd pried from the second bolder at the latches of his two wedged clawshots. Claws and their attached chains shot outwards, each managing to latch onto a part of each of the two heads. Arkai ran at the nearer one, striking with his sword to kill it before firing an arrow into the eye of the other where it lay stunned from its forced impact with the other rock.

Thanking every god he could think of that the stunt had worked, Arkai now began to advance on the final, central head. Heirdaras was now screaming incoherently in rage and dare he say it... fear. In a matter of minutes he'd slain its six side heads, albeit it didn't know that two of those had been sheer dumb luck, and two more had been done more at suicidal risk than deliberate trickery. All it knew was that this Hylian was coming for it, and now it was beginning to panic.

It blasted fire at him again, again Arkai crouching down to put his whole body behind his shield. The crystal whine from before increased in intensity, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as he began forward again. A third blast came, the whine suddenly a chime before blue flame he'd had no idea it had been storing blasted outwards. Trapped in the shield, the culmination of three fiery attacks had been compressed and intensified, screaming outwards right into the face of the final head. In seconds scales became coated in a layer of ice like frozen shackles, Heirdaras letting out a choked shriek when it realised it was stuck.

Arkai stood there, dumbstruck, at the sight of the ice-coated head and front half of the hydra. Heirdaras' body was struggling madly, the ice trapping it starting to break. That sight spurred him into action, one young Hylian sprinting across frozen lake towards fear filled eyes that were trapped well within reach of attack.

When his blade sunk home, Arkai felt no triumph. Heirdaras lay there, defeated, but he knew it was only partly down to his own skill. Humbled by that, and by the knowledge of how it might have turned out if he hadn't been so damned lucky, Arkai turned to face the portal that appeared a short distance away and headed for it, pausing once to glance in the direction of the swamp where he'd last seen the crotchety old frog.

"I won't let this go to my head, Yorkl, you can count on that"

He disappeared through it, the portal vanishing even as another Hylian appeared from his veil of illusions.

Link, his pride at Arkai's victory and attitude clear to see on his face, sighed once before facing the downed Guardian and casting his power over it. Ice melted, wounds healed, and seven sets of golden eyes opened once more to gaze down at their master. The central head reached out, setting itself before Link so he could lay a hand on it before letting out a small chirrup of enquiry.

Link smiled, patting his Water Guardian's snout in approval.

"You put up a good fight, Heirdaras, rest up until I call you again. It's time for me to go set things up in the final Realm."

Stepping back as the guardian curled up to sleep once more, Link then pushed himself back into the Mortal Realm where a potential Hero now settled himself to do likewise.

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehe, that was a fun fight to write.**


	38. I Hope this Really is the Last One

**Alaia Skyhawk: Not much to say lol, ON WITH THE CHAPTER!**

**-**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 38: I Hope this Really is the Last One

-

Finding himself back in the Temple of Courage, Arkai let out a sigh and wearily trudged over to the pile of belongings in the middle of the floor. Dry trail crackers didn't make for much of a meal, but considering he'd again not had the chance to get food in the Realm he'd just been to they were better than nothing.

He thudded down onto the tangled mass that was his bedroll, grabbing a couple of the remaining crackers, eating them, and then washing the dry crumbs down with a mouthful of water. When his stomach grumbled in complaint at the pitiful meal, Arkai sighed again and curled up to get some sleep. The next trial would come soon enough.

Lying there, eyes resting on the locked door that would lead him deeper into the temple if he passed his next trial, Arkai frowned. What waited for him down there? Two more Realms? Something else? How close was he to the end of the trials here? Something had seemed different about the Water Realm, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. It had almost seemed too easy, well at least everything up until he'd fought Hierdaras had been. A few swamp babas, some mud and slime, nothing serious or particularly dangerous. All he'd really gained from it was the pep talk from Yorkl.

He blinked, something occurring to him. Maybe that _was_ the point. He'd already had to prove his will to protect others in the Forest and Fire Realms. In Spirit and Shadow he'd been forced to use his mind to solve problems, and to use his will to resist the temptations of darkness. In the Water Realm something different had been asked of him... He'd been asked to listen and learn a valuable lesson. 'Don't forget who it is you're fighting for. Don't let victory go to your head.'

Rolling onto his back and staring at the blue stone of the ceiling, he mulled over the idea. These two Realms were about learning things other than how to think on your feet, or to have the bravery to stand up for others. If that were so, then what lesson awaited him in the Light Realm?

* * *

It was a pleased-looking Sage who appeared in the temple's sacred chamber, and a pleased one that, after a cursory check of the 'window' to see if Arkai was resting, then vanished again a moment later.

Taking note of her friend's cheerfulness, Navi chuckled.

"He's pleased... Arkai really performed in that one. If the guy can keep it up for one more Realm, you and I will finally get the chance for a bit of fun."

Link'aren grinned in reply, also chuckled.

"You're just pleased Link'iru used one of your ideas for the final trials... Personally, _I_ just think your idea is sadistic."

Navi stuck her tongue out at him before rolling her eyes.

"Whatever... Like _your_ idea will be any easier on the guy."

* * *

Weapons clanked as they were checked, cloth rustling as clothing was straightened beneath leather straps, careful fingers making sure everything was where it should be before their owner made their move. Arkai, satisfied that he was as ready as he'd ever be, turned to face the door beneath the golden sun symbol. He strode over to it, pausing at its threshold to take a deep breath... He then stepped though.

The first thing he saw was blue sky, and clouds... the next was the nearest of those clouds whipping up past him as plummeted from where the portal had dumped him so high up in the air that if there was ground below it was so far below he couldn't see it.

For the first few seconds he screamed at the top of his lungs, before forcing himself into silence as the wind rushing past made his eyes water furiously. Finally managing to stop his mad tumbling, he steadied facing the direction he was falling. So what was supposed to happen now? Was he supposed to be falling to his death, or had the portal messed up somehow?

He was seriously wondering if that were the case when something caught his eye. Lines of light wove like tendrils among the clouds, far enough away that they were just golden strands amid blue and white... Then he hit something, something that stretched at his impact before slowly rising upwards again to become perfectly flat.

He opened his eyes, having closed them when he'd felt what had turned out to be a rather soft landing. Pushing himself to his knees he blinked in surprise and awe at what was beneath him. The glowing lines weren't just lines, they were roads through the skies made of light woven into mesh like cloth. He'd just landed on one of them, and even as he stood up he found himself wondering just how the hell light on its own was able to stop his fall and support his weight.

He thumped a foot on that woven surface, getting back only the scuff of his own boot. The light neither gave way or reacted in any way, seemingly only flexing to cushion his landing before becoming solid and stable again. Still wondering over it, he looked at the skies around, above, and below him, quickly realising that only in this middle region did the roads of light exist, and that the ones he could see seemed to be converging somewhere to his left, which incidentally was where his own road pointed to.

With nothing else to do he started walking, sternly keeping to the centre of the aerial path and avoid the risk of plummeting to the doom he'd only just avoided. This place was certainly a change from all the previous Realms, what with their being no visible ground _anywhere_. The only solid place for him to walk was the woven light he was stood on, though at least it certainly seemed solid enough for him not to worry about walking on it.

Almost as if his thought were the key, his right foot plunged though the surface of the road, drawing a startled yell from him. Dragging his leg free he scrambled backwards, before inching forwards with a frown. There was a hole in the woven surface, strands of light flickering a frayed around its edges. He went around it, now warily watching where he put his feet, as the further he progressed the more and more holes and ragged edges he found. It eventually got go bad he had no choice but to stop, what little remaining solid weave being too narrow for him to be willing to risk trying to cross it.

Contemplating turning around and heading back the other way, he stopped when the sound of wings reached his ears. Hazel eyes searching the air around him for the source, he spotted something that filled him with as much awe as the road had when he'd first seen it.

A man with golden-brown hair glided down on wings woven out of light just like the road, a man who hovered over the damaged area to regard him with concern.

"Why are you on this path? It's dangerous!"

Hazel eyes met blue, the owner of the former unaware of the true identity of the latter.

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well, on to the next one :)**


	39. Weavers of Light

**Alaia Skyhawk: Onwards!**

**-**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter39: Weavers of Light

-

As Arkai stood there, uncertain as to what to say, the stranger continued to hover there. The wings that extended outwards from the man's back were indeed just like the floating path of light, but of a weave far finer than the broad mesh below the potential hero's feet. Equally as cautious, that man shook his head with a sigh and descended to the damaged section, landing on what little remained before Arkai could voice a warning... The warning would have been pointless though, considering what happened next.

The moment the man's feet touched the damaged path new strands of light spread out from him. In a matter of seconds the tattered weave was restored, even so far as to holes and frayed edges over a hundred meters away back the way Arkai had come. It might have seemed an effortless feat, but for the fact the man's wings of light flickered when he finished the repair, and he staggered panting from exertion.

Without thinking, Arkai rushed to his side in concern.

"Whoa, are you alright?" He looked down at the repaired path. "H-how did you do that? I've never seen anything like this before."

Blue eyes gazed at him, clouded with exhaustion.

"Then you are clearly not of the People of the Sky, or you would know me for an Ethera." He straightened, his wings of light ceasing to flicker. "I am one of the Weavers of Light, the ones who maintain the Road that you stand upon. We have lived here in the sky for countless centuries, the abilities of the Ethera making it possible." He lifted a hand to his chest, inclining his head in greeting. "I am Shiu'en. Might I enquire as to _your_ name? And how you came to be here? After all, it puzzles me as to how you got up here."

Arkai chuckled a little, then sighed.

"My name is Arkai, and I was sent here by a magical portal. There's something I'm supposed to do here, or learn here. I'm not sure what though."

Shiu'en frowned, thoughtful, before speaking.

"Then I will take you to Estel, my hometown. There you can rest, and perhaps figure out what you are here to do."

In a single swift motion he flicked strands of light around Arkai, those lines forming a net, and before the Hyllian could react he jumped off the Road and pulled Arkai with him.

Arkai stifled a yell as they plummeted, but the fall slowed then levelled out as the size of Shiu'en's wings visibly increased to adjust for the extra weight. He stared at them, wondering, before shouting above the rushing of the wind.

"Did you make those too? Like the Road back there?"

The Ethera glanced down, nodding.

"Yes, they are a weaving of light, just like the Road. It's how the Ethera travel around to maintain the Road, otherwise it would take too long to get to the areas most in need of repair. Like..."

He cut off, his expression turning grim, causing Arkai to frown.

"What's wrong?"

Shiu'en shook his head.

"I'll explain more once we get to Estel. I need to focus on maintaining my wings right now."

True to that he said nothing more, remaining totally silent as they glided amongst the clouds and the graceful paths of the Road. The sun began to descend towards the horizon, white masses turning rose and gold in the sunset, before finally from among them something incredible emerged into view making Arkai gasp.

It was a city, easily the size of Hyrule Castle Town, and tiers of hanging vegetable gardens and even a small lake surrounded it. Everything was suspended upon woven light, the buildings, the water, the plants, everything. All of a sudden it came to Arkai just how important the Ethera were to these people. Shiu'en was likely highly respected and revered among the People of the Sky.

Coming down to land at the town's edge, Shiu'en released Arkai from the net, dismissed his wings, and strode over to board covered in glowing lines while the people nearby came over. When he reached it he touched one of the lines that was greyed, turning it gold before speaking.

"The Road to Taris is now safe and open to travel. Trade with that city can now be resumed." People murmured their thanks and blessings, Shiu'en nodding in acceptance before returning to Arkai and bidding him follow. "Come with me. You can stay with me until you find out what you're here to do."

Following as the Ethera strode swiftly through the streets, Arkai mulled over the marvel this place was. Who would have thought it, an entire civilisation living in the sky suspended upon nothing but woven light. It boggled the mind, and left him feeling very very small. When they arrived at a narrow three-storey home at the city's edge he was led inside. The ground floor seemed to be just for general storage, but the room that encompassed the entire second floor seemed to be the main living and cooking area.

Arkai stood there, looking around at the simple furnishings that seemed limited to large cushions and small, low tables that would require little wood to build. Still admiring the Etheran man's home, he stopped in his tracks when he looked at Shiu'en again. The man was stood by a replica of the notice board from before, but this one's surface was marked by a forest of red and black tipped pins. He pulled one of them out with a sigh and placed it in a box to one side, the sheer number of pins remaining making that single one seem as nothing.

Arkai came over, with rising concern.

"Are those pins?"

Shiu'en looked bleak.

"The damaged areas of the Road, which still need to be repaired." He lifted a hand to rest near the map's edge, in an area where red pins formed a line bordering clusters of black pins. "We get word of more damage by the day, more than we have time or energy to fix. In all of our Realm there are only four Ethera remaining, and our strength is slowly but surely failing." He touched a cluster of black pins, located at a point where several lines of Road met. "We lost the town of Vesa just a month ago... It's foundation tore apart and it fell from the sky along with everyone in it. We've lost other towns over the years, but in those cases we had time to evacuate them. This time we'd spent so much time concentrating on repairing the Roads that we failed to spot that Vesa's platform was fraying beneath its buildings. Since it fell we switched to concentrating on the towns and cities, but that has mean that many of them are becoming totally isolated as the Roads connecting them to each other become unusable."

Arkai looked grim.

"And the one you fixed today?"

"Likely the last I can spare the energy for..."

Shiu'en sighed, leaving the map and slumping down onto one of the room's cushions. Arkai followed suit, frowning as he spoke.

"Do the people of Estel know that? Do they know how serious the situation is?"

Shiu'en looked away, his deep exhaustion clear to see.

"Only four Ethera remain, where once there were always over a hundred at any one time. I was the last to be blessed at birth by the Light Bearer, the last to become an Ethera before we lost him twenty years ago. In the time since, many Ethera went to him to try to get him to see reason... All of them had their blessing stripped from them upon confronting him and they plunged to their deaths. In the years since then others have also tried, and some of us grew old and died as people do, until all that remained were the four of us there are now. We put on a brave face for the people so they don't panic, but truth is that we won't last more than a few more years... When we finally succumb to exhaustion, the People of the Sky will be doomed. The best we can hope for is to float a few of the smaller cities and towns down to the lands below, but even then we can't guarantee our strength would hold out under the strain of doing so... We're just too tired, from trying for so hard for so long to keep the Road alive."

Shiu'en fell silent, Arkai filled with horror at the situation these people were in. Was this was he was supposed to do here? Help these people? But how? How could he, a single man, do something that these people with their magic could do?

He bit his lip, frowning.

"I think maybe I was sent here to help you, but I don't know how. The magic I have is useless in this situation, and I doubt being good with a sword will help much either."

Shiu'en looked at him in surprise, before smiling sadly.

"Indeed, there is nothing you could do for us with the skills you have. Your sentiment is appreciated though." He got up and walked over to the cooking area, glancing over his shoulder. "I'll make us something to eat. Feel free to look around my home while you wait."

Understanding that the Etheran wanted time to think, Arkai headed for the stairs going up to the next floor. Like the second floor, the third was just a single chamber, although with one corner partitioned off with a screen for bathing and such. Not wanting to intrude on Shiu'en's sleeping area, Arkai spotted that another set of stairs went upwards and quickly ascended them to a hatch in the ceiling.

He came out onto the home's flat roof, walking over to the waist-high wall that bordered it. The sun was still setting, but this high up in the sky it was taking a lot longer to do so than it would at ground level. Realising it would still be reasonably light for another half-hour or so, Arkai located a scrap of planking among the pots of plants on the rooftop and propped it in one of the corners.

He began to practice with his bow, releasing frustration at being unable to do anything to help these people. That frustration turned into an unintentional Fire Arrow, forcing him to quickly put out the now burning plank with an Ice Arrow. Ice blossomed over the home's top corner from the arrow, frost burning some of the leaves of the plants closest. Arkai grimaced and moved the scorched plank to a corner away from them, taking aim again. Some whim, or maybe the slowing failing daylight, had him start firing Light Arrows. Each streak of gold lit the rooftop and the dark expression on his face, as he continued to inwardly curse.

He was just preparing and firing another when Shiu'en emerged from the hatch, the Etheran dropping the plate of food he'd been holding before he gasped in shock.

"Light... _You can shape light?!_"

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Next one :D**


	40. Learning to Weave

**Alaia Skyhawk: And another one! Hehe, no prizes for figuring out what the title implies XD**

**-**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 40: Learning to Weave

-

Shiu'en rushed to Arkai's side, hands almost trembling as he touched the Hyllian's bow and looked at him.

"Do that again, but don't fire it. I want a closer look at this light magic of yours."

A little stunned by the suddenness and urgency of Shiu'en's reaction to the Light Arrows, Arkai obliged, taking hold of an arrow from his quiver and making it blaze golden in his grip.

"Well?"

The Etheran leaned in close to the glowing arrow, his expression turning to one of hope as he murmured.

"'One will come with the gift of light, but not be of the Ethera. As in the day your people moved to the sky, one born with the gift shall find the Bearer and return the way of the Road to the people'... The ancient promise made by the gods, you must be the one..."

The arrow's glow spluttered out, as Arkai stuttered.

"B-But I didn't use to be able to create Light Arrows, it was a power that was granted to me by the Sage of Light."

Shiu'en stood straight, a small smile of his hope on his face in the fading light.

"Light is the essence of all that is good, Light Arrows being the divine power normally granted only to Sages. That you were told you could use them by someone means nothing, actually _being_ able to use them is something you have to be born able to do... That you can use them means you have the ability to channel the power of the Sages, something that the Ethera can only do with the Light Bearer's blessing."

Arkai's eyes widened.

"Wait, that means I really _can_ be the Hero my people need right now!"

Shiu'en nodded.

"That's right, but to return there you must help _this_ world first. You must learn to weave light, and quickly, so you can seek him out upon wings of your own at the Heart of the Road. None of the Ethera may approach him, or they will have their blessing taken away and they will fall to their doom. That is why it must be you, you who bear the ability by your own right."

Arkai, still wide-eyed, looked at his hands.

"You mean I have the power to do what you do? To weave light."

Shiu'en smiled.

"It was something learned almost five hundred years ago, by someone much like you, and tomorrow I will begin teaching you how."

* * *

Wind rushed past, accompanied by the sound of Shiu'en's beating wings. True to his word, the next morning he'd dragged Arkai from slumber and they'd departed from Estel. They were now descending towards a damaged section of Road, but it wasn't Shiu'en who was going to do the fixing.

They landed a short distance from the damaged section, Arkai released from the carry-net to stand near a small hole in the woven surface.

Shiu'en pointed to it.

"We'll start with that one. I brought you out here because it's easier to start weaving light if there's something there for you to work outwards from. To be honest it took me _years_ to master, but we don't have that kind of time. We're taught to do wings before we're trusted with Road, but wings are harder. For that reason, with you we're going to do it in reverse."

Arkai stared at him.

"You're trusting me with part of the Road? But what if I mess up?"

An eyebrow was raised.

"This section of Road will start to slowly unravel... Don't worry, this part has already been abandoned as far as repairing it. Just try what I described to you on the way here, and if it starts to unravel just walk away from the area; it won't happen faster than you can escape from. I'll be back in a few hours, there's a town not far from here that needs some repairs to their hanging gardens. I'll sort that out, and come back for you."

And with that Shiu'en flew away, leaving Arkai standing there staring after him.

Once the Etheran was out of sight, Arkai sighed.

"He wants me to start weaving after just a few instructions? I just hope his confidence in me isn't over-exaggerated."

He dropped to his knees beside the hole and peered at it, prodding the ragged edge with one finger, thinking.

_Focus on a strand and will it to extend, sending power to it as you do so. When it reaches where it's supposed to go in the pattern, will the two matching ends to join together..._

* * *

A short distance above Arkai his teacher had returned, but this time veiled by illusions and not using woven wings to stay aloft. Watching as a single strand of the woven road slowly grew in length across the hole, Link smiled to himself. Arkai already knew the basics of shaping light, from using Light Arrows. Weaving light was just a different application of that technique. While it was true it _had_ taken him years to master, it was also true that since Arkai was being _taught_ how to do it, and not learning by trial and error, it would do doubt go a _lot_ faster.

Link descended, landing without sound directly behind the potential hero as another line of light crept across the hole. Right now Arkai's only limit was his own lack of confidence regarding the skill he was learning. By forcing him to practice alone, without apparent supervision, he was forced by his own determination not to mess up to get it right first try. That would slow him down a little, but not for long.

The second line of light joined up, Arkai frowning in concentration as he decided to try two at the same time. Those two inched outwards just like the previous strands had, and with greater speed as a small surprised blink from him indicated he was finding it easier than he'd expected. Seeing it, Link chuckled silently. True it was easy with just a handful of strands, the real test was controlling more than twenty at the same time... Something needed in order to create and control wings woven in this way.

Time passed, Arkai successfully fixing the hole he'd started with before he moved to another. Sweating from his efforts, and putting his reserves of magic to a real test, he mended several more before he reached the great ragged tear that left only a few shreds of Road between him and the intact section beyond. Stood there, he hesitated, not moving an inch when faced with the enormity of this repair compared to the ones he'd just done.

At his shoulder the Sage of Courage whispered, so quiet that he knew his words would be barely heard but would reach Arkai's ears all the same.

"_Trust in yourself and your will... A will capable of following the path you have taken, is one that can easily managed the task before you if you put your faith in it..._"

As soon as he'd murmured the words he strengthened his illusions, making it certain the hazel eyes that had turned to look in his direction would not find any trace of him.

Arkai continued to look over his shoulder, puzzled, before he shook it off as being his imagination and turned back to the tear with an expression of determination. Taking a deep breath he focused his gaze on the tear and willed the strands of light across it before sending others darting back and forth across the width of the path to complete the weave. In moments the twenty-foot shredded section became whole, and Arkai gaped in surprise that he'd been able to do it.

That expression of shock stayed in place for a moment more, before he looked at one of his hands and clenched it in the knowledge that he _could_ do this.

He could make a difference if he just trusted in himself...

* * *

"Don't take your will from one part as you weave the next. You might be able to do that for the Road, but for wings you have to keep the previous part stable while you add the next."

Shiu'en paced around Arkai, as the Hyllian panted with the effort of extending two swaths of wing-shaped weave outwards from his shoulders without destroying the web he'd woven around his body. Contrary to seeming to be just two pieces of weave sticking out from the weaver's back, it turned out that to _hold_ those weaves to the weaver's body and take their weight they had to be attached to a net woven against the weaver's skin beneath their clothing. What had seemed an effortless action by Shiu'en when he'd demonstrated it, turned out to involve cloaking the body from neck to ankles to anchor the wings and stop his legs from dragging his body vertical while he flew.

Arkai muttered under his breath as he tried again, repairing his body-net where it had started to come apart and keeping part of his attention on it while he began weaving wings. Two weeks... he'd spent two _weeks_ in this Realm trying to learn this. After his success at fixing that section of Road, Shiu'en had spent that following evening showing him how to create a weave from scratch... and then left him along at the house for the whole of the next day with the challenge of being able to cover as much of the roof with weave as possible when he got back. The following days had been much the same, with the Etheran giving Arkai lessons on technique each evening, before spending most of the day out doing repairs to towns and cities in his region of responsibility. That time alone had given Arkai a lot of time to think, and also time to appreciate just how much effort Shiu'en's work took. He'd been left almost totally drained after mending that section of Road, and yet Shiu'en fixed ten times that amount each day as well as flying to the places the work needed doing. It was no small wonder the four remaining Ethera were struggling, when it was all put into perspective.

Gritting his teeth as he felt his reserves of magic waning, he dug a little deeper to scrape together the last dregs he needed to finish the wings. This time he got it right, but only managed to hold them for a second before his exhaustion made them fray and come apart.

Saying nothing, Shiu'en helped him to his feet and took him downstairs, Arkai falling asleep the moment his head touched his bed.

* * *

Hazel eyes regarded the sky surrounding him, a place so peaceful and so separated from the evils that haunted the lands below. Had he heard tales of such a place before this, he would have assumed such people would have no worries. Far from harm, far out of reach, what could possibly touch them? Three weeks in this place had taught him that even living in the sky, far from the land, did not protect you from despair.

Arkai sighed, checking his gear one last time before glancing in the direction Shiu'en had flown off that morning. He'd told the Etheran he was going to practice for a few more days before heading for the Heart of the Road... He'd told Shiu'en a lie...

Turning to face the other way, Arkai frowned with a moment of concentration as fine strands of power spread out from his shoulders in a dance of light which wove a pair of wings even the Etheran would be proud of. Taking a moment to glance at the wings he'd only had a week to practice using, Arkai then threw himself off the roof and into the open air... Soaring off into the skies, his fate at the mercy of his own his own strength of will.

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yes, Arkai got a cool ability! Yay for flying! (Is obsessed with flying)**


	41. Lord of the Light Realm

**Alaia Skyhawk: NEXT ONE!**

**-**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 41: Lord of the Light Realm

-

Hazel eyes remained fixed on that distant sky, fixed on the point where the lines of the Road, that wove among the clouds across the sky, came together around what could only be described as a miniature star. It was a sphere of swirling strands of light, suspended within a vast ring of Road where all other paths ended. Heart of the Road was an apt name, for this was the centre of the People of the Sky's world.

Beating his woven wings to increase his speed, he dwelt on the journey here. As vast as the Road was on the map, the speed with which his woven wings could propel him had startled him. Shiu'en had flown around at a fraction of his full speed, probably because he'd been too tired to waste energy going faster than he'd needed to. In the space of a few hours, he'd covered more distance than Shiu'en would have in all of the past week. The pace was telling on him though, given he'd had to land on the Road and rest several times since leaving Estel.

Keeping that in mind, Arkai glided down to the ring where the Road ended, landing, dismissing his wings and re-absorbing the magic in them the way Shiu'en had shown him. It saved a lot of magic doing that, and without the technique Arkai wouldn't have gotten even half the distance he had.

Stood there now, staring at the glow of the Heart of the Road, he already knew that Light Weaving was what he'd been supposed to learn here. Wings and Road couldn't be the only things that could be woven from it; it was something whose uses would be limited only by his own imagination. Light, the essence of good, given physical form based on the weaver's will... He had no doubt he would find it an invaluable tool in facing Malice.

He paced a little, resting but at the same time still aware of the urgency of his task. Since he'd not asked Shiu'en about it, he had no idea what the Light Bearer looked like or what to expect when he encountered it. He was going in blind, and not only that but the knowledge that he couldn't _harm_ the Bearer. He needed to convince it to trust the people again, and so far he had only his experience from the Spirit Realm to help him with that.

Unable to endure waiting any longer, Arkai rewove his wings and took flight again, plunging into the sphere of light. Once inside it he had to squint against the brightness, but even so he continued arrow straight towards its centre.

When he emerged it was into an open sphere of pure white luminescence, in whose centre lay suspended an island of golden strands like strings of tiny suns. Approaching it the serenity of the scene was shattered by a piercing shriek, immediately after a wave of unseen force passed him by.

He realised right away what had happened, the Bearer had tried to strip him of his wings but had failed. His ability to weave light was his own, not given to him, and so the Bearer could not take it from him.

The shriek came again, equine in nature, a winged horse of purest silvery white launching itself from the island. It charged towards him, screaming in rage, before it struck out with a hoof as if stomping ground only for a bolt of lightning to streak towards Arkai.

Arkai folded his wings, plummeting out of the lightning's path, desperately swerving about in the air as more and more were flung at him. His aerial agility was being pushed to its limits, which weren't all that much given he'd only learned to fly properly a few days ago. Some of the bolts clipped him, on arm or leg or wing edge. Each time he tumbled through the air, and each time he found it harder to recover.

Desperate, he sent out several strands of light, wrapping them around the Bearer's head and nose before weaving them together into a bridle and long tether, anchoring the other end to the island to restrict the Guardian's movements. Gritting his teeth he flung out another line of light, followed by several more to drape over the enraged Bearer's back while it was unable to turn to face him. Sending more out, he swiftly wove them into a saddle just in front of its wings and flung himself towards it, binding his body-net to it the moment he landed in it.

He severed the tether to the island, pulling the loose end to his hands to form reins, holding on for dear life as the Bearer bucked and lurched in the air. It alternated between dives and steep climbs, sharp turns and savage aerial rolls, doing everything it physically could to dislodge him. He endured it though, his entire will focused on his body-net and saddle, on repairing them every time one of the Bearer's movements caused them to start to tear.

How long it went on he had no idea, only that his reserves of magic were running dangerously low and that it was only sheer cussed stubbornness that was keeping him in place. It seemed like eternity before the Bearer landed on its island, its sides heaving from effort, its head bowed in defeat.

Arkai sat there a moment more almost stunned by the fact he'd won, before taking back the magic of his saddle and bridle and using them to wearily remake his wings to fly away.

The moment he lifted from its shoulders, the Light Bearer stiffened in surprise.

"Why did you come here, defeat me, and then free me? Why do this? You gain nothing but my anger."

Arkai stopped, hovering above, looking down with eyes that held the wisdom of a lesson he'd learn from a cat-boy.

"Because the people who love you, who you once watched over, need you. They grieve at your anger, and despair as the world you helped them to build falls apart around them. The Road is crumbling, there are only four Ethera left, but even so those four drive themselves to exhaustion for the sake of their people. It's an effort, which, from the loss of so much of the Road, has been proven futile. But still they try, and hope for your return in the meantime."

The Bearer lifted its head, turning to gaze at him with an eye of purest blue. Its tone was one of surprise... and respect.

"You are wise beyond your years, kind of heart, and strong of will... I am Pedagus, the Light Bearer, and you have proven your heart and those of your kind to me." Pedagus rose from the island, coming up beneath him so he had no choice but to land astride its shoulders. "I shall return my blessings to them, in respect for the courage you have shown in coming here, for now that I look I can see that the Ethera are not the only ones on the brink of exhaustion. Allow me to carry you back to whose wait for your return. Where would you have me take you?"

Arkai, dismissing his wings and using the power from them to create a much simpler saddle to hold him in place, spoke with not a little relief.

"Estel. Shiu'en, one of the four remaining Ethera, is the one who taught me to weave light."

"Then to Estel we shall go."

Arkai yelped, as he was flung backwards in his saddle when Pedagus surged forwards with tremendous speed. They burst out of the Heart of the Road, a wave of light sweeping outwards from it as they did so. That light vanished into the distance, leaving in its wake a Road restored to its true glory.

Golden roads, that had been just platforms before, were now graced by flowing railings and glorious filigree arches topped with miniature suns. Sky swept past faster than the winds themselves, Pedagus flying faster than anything he'd ever seen. What had taken him almost ten hours to cover on his own, took the Guardian only an hour to traverse, the City of Estel coming into view even as the sun began to set... but it was not the Estel he remembered.

What had been awe inspiring before was now beyond words, the city now sat upon a great disk of light, its gardens and lake edged with the same filigree as the Road's many arches. Cheers rose from below him as Pedagus descended to land; one figure, among the many there, rushing to his side as he dismounted from the Bearer's back.

Shiu'en ignored him for a moment to greet the Bearer, who bowed his head to accept the caress, before speaking to Arkai with a note of pride.

"You have done well, Arkai, more so than I could ever have expected... and now I'd say that you are ready for your final test."

Arkai blinked.

"How do you know I'm being tested?"

Shiu'en stroked Pedagus' head again, speaking again in a tone of amused secrecy.

"That is something I may know, and that you have yet to learn. Face your final test, and perhaps you will find out _how_ I know." A door of light appeared, Arkai facing it in surprise as the Etheran continued. "Go forth, Arkai... Go finish what you set out to do."

He reached out and gave Arkai a push, sending the Hyllian stumbling through the portal. On the other side, back in the Temple of Courage, Arkai turned to face the door at the chamber's rear... where a Triforce symbol now began to glow.

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehehehe.**


	42. Final Trial

**Alaia Skyhawk: DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**-**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 42: Final Trial

-

It beckoned him, calling him forward to face whatever lay ahead. Part of him wanted to rest, and yet part of him also desired to keep going.

Arkai stood there, staring at the door and its glowing symbol. Was his final trial here beyond that door? Had he almost made it to the end? The Arkai who had started this journey all those months ago would have hesitated, stopped to rest for a few hours, but the Arkai who stood here now decided the hour of rest he'd had atop Pedagus' back was enough. Shiu'en's words, urging him onwards, were the last push he needed to make his move.

He strode over to the door, touching it to make it open and eyeing the stairs beyond. These were different from those before, a steep spiral descending downwards unlike the short straight lengths between the other levels of the temple. He took a deep breath before starting down them, taking each step at a slow but deliberate pace. He didn't count the steps, but it did take nearly five minutes for him to reach the bottom and come face-to-face with a door identical to the one high above.

He touched it, the door opening to a brightly lit chamber just twenty yards across. Walking into it, he stopped before a line etched on the floor, looking at the patterns carved just beyond it in three bands across the room's width. The first band was waves, the second undulating hills of some kind, and the third was a mountain. Above the door opposite was a clock of some kind, its markings showing minutes, hours, and days. Right now all of the numbers were set to zero, clear to see above a message etched in silver.

_'Cross the sea, traverse the sands, and conquer the mountain... Do so in the knowledge that if you stop or hesitate in any way after you start, you will fail.'_

Arkai read it a second time, before once again looking at the patterns on the floor. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and stepped over the line and onto the band of waves...

His eyes flew open as he coughed and spluttered, suddenly plunged into cold salty water. He floundered up to the surface, shaking droplets from his eyes to find himself in the middle of open sea with just a hint of land in the distance. Heeding the warning of the message, he started to swim for that glimpse of shore, his weapons and gear dragging on him with their weight. On and on he went, fighting the temptation to dump his heavy weapons or to stop. Overhead the sky dimmed, the sun setting and the stars shining forth. Still he kept swimming, forcing himself onwards with leaden arms and legs. Stars wheeled overhead, the sky beginning to lighten again and sending them back into hiding. The dawn revealed it wasn't far to the shore now, but getting there was no relief.

Arkai crawled out of the water, exhausted from swimming who knows how far. Again the warning forced him onwards, but all too soon he was craving the coolness of the sea. The land was a desert, scorching hot as the sun rose to zenith, plunging to icy chill when once again the sun set and he continued on with only the stars for company.

When the sun rose again he was still in the desert, but in the distance a purple smudge indicated he was getting closer to the mountain the message had mentioned. Trudging onwards, he reached to his belt for his canteen of water but found it missing, the horror at that discovery almost making him stop in his tracks. He forced himself to keep going, licking at dry lips that were starting to crack from the heat and his thirst. He'd thought the Realms had been hard to face... but this forced trek in isolation had quickly turned to torture. He wanted nothing more than to just give in, to give in to the desires of his body and collapse to the sands to rest.

He gritted his teeth and kept going, the purple smudge becoming a visible snow-capped peak. He fixed his attention on it and on the task of reaching it, the sun setting again and rising as he reached the mountain's base.

He began to climb, stumbling now after three days of relentless travel. He was numb to the pain of his body now, having blocked it out using the warning as a distraction. He'd reached his limits, but sheer stubborn will kept him walking up the mountain's slope. Time ceased to have meaning, and he no longer was aware if the sun set and rose again or not. His eyes were focused on where he had to put his next step, upon rock and dirt, and then upon snow. Bitter winds that should have made him shiver were ignored, his world narrowing down to nothing but the path immediately in front of him. Then, all of a sudden, the path ended... open air being the only thing existing past the cliff at the mountain's peak. Arkai didn't stop though, he kept walking until he reached that abyss and stepped out into the air.

He stumbled, gasping as he found himself back in the Temple of Courage, a glance up at the clock revealing that far from being days, he'd only walked for a few seconds... the time it had taken for him to walk the width of the room. He turned around and looked down, the band on the floor with the mountain just behind his feet... It had all been an illusion, everything... he wasn't even tired anymore.

He shook off his dazed condition, gathering his bearings and facing the door beneath the clock. Walking forward to open it and step through.

He blinked, disorientated, suddenly in the depths of a forest. A child's scream ripped though the air to his left, instinct kicking in and sending him racing in that direction without even considering if this were real or another illusion. The child screamed again as he burst into a clearing; the terrified eyes of Riana, the girl he'd met in the Forest Realm, staring widely at the trio of masked bowmen who even as she scrambled backwards lifted their weapons and took aim.

Arkai reached for his own bow, only to discover that it and all his other gear was missing. He was totally unarmed, helpless to stop the bowmen... If he grabbed one of them to stop that one from firing, the other two would still be able to kill Riana.

He broke into a run as three arrows were drawn back, charging as fast as his legs would carry him and throwing himself over Riana to shield her as the bowmen fired and the arrows slammed into his back.

He screamed, dropping to his knees once again back inside the Temple of Courage, sweat dripping from his face as he gasped for breath. Still shaking, he got slowly to his feet and looked around to find only an empty plain chamber half the size of the previous one. Checking to see that all his weapons were really where they were supposed to be, he took a shuddering breath and headed for the next door. This time when he opened it he paused at the threshold and looked through, seeing only a ring marked on the floor of the chamber beyond.

He entered it cautiously, eyes searching until a voice spoke and two figures in armour appeared on the other side of the ring.

The one in white armour spoke, the one in black remaining silent behind the visor of their helm.

"You who would be a Hero, you come before us having passed all trials up to this point... You, who would be a Hero, now must defeat us two opponents each in a duel. The rules are this, you are not permitted to use any of your own tools but your sword and shield for each of the two fights. Now come forth and face me."

The one in white armour stepped into the ring and drew sword and shield in readiness to fight. Arkai followed suit, eyes narrowed as he and his opponent started too circle the edge of the ring. They lunged at each other, swords clashing in strike and parry. Arkai gritted his teeth, his opponent far better than any swordsman he'd faced before now in a proper duel. He was dealing with an expert, and one who used some strikes and manoeuvres he'd never seen before. Then, as suddenly as the duel had started, the warrior in white backed off.

The one in black drew their sword and shield, stepping into the ring.

"My associate has deemed you meet his expectations, but I will not be so easy on you..."

Black sword darted in towards Arkai's ribs, not the strike of a duellist but the strike of someone aiming to _kill_. Arkai evaded it, shocked at the underhanded move, striking out in retaliation. His attack was easily dodged; the warrior in black laughing as he spun past Arkai's blade and snatched something from his belt. The next moment, Arkai's sword was ripped from his hand by his own clawshot.

He glared at his opponent.

"Hey! It's supposed to be swords and shields only!"

The warrior laughed again, dumping Arkai's sword on the floor behind him.

"Heh, the rule was you're not allowed to use any of your _own_ tools but sword and shield... nothing was said about taking and using the tools on your opponent."

The clawshot was fired again, this time aiming to take Arkai's shield. He rolled out of the way, subconsciously eyeing up the weapons on the black armoured warrior's belt before shaking his head in disgust at himself. Let his opponent cheat... he wasn't going to stoop to the same level.

He rushed forward, angling his shield to deflect the next strike of the clawshot and slamming it into the helmeted head of his opponent. Rolling past him, he grabbed his sword off the floor and swung it upwards at the warrior's back and the sword sheath hanging there. The strike hit true, sword and sheath flying across the room and clattering to the floor as he held the tip of his own blade pressed to the gap between helmet and collar of his opponent's armour.

Both of them remained totally still... until the black armoured warrior chuckled.

"Congratulations, Arkai." The warrior in black stepped away from him, a click of gloved fingers banishing the armour to reveal a white-haired man clothed in white and blue... a man who smiled. "I am Link'iru, the Sage of Courage. You pass..."

Arkai stared in shock; his sword almost dropping from numb fingers when a winged ball of light appeared from nowhere and promptly mobbed him.

"_Arkai! WOOO YOU DID IT!_"

Prying Navi off his face, Arkai held her at arm's length to avoid being smothered by her, the warrior in white starting to laugh as he too banished his armour.

A man with blond hair and blue eyes was revealed, and he came over and plucked the fairy from Arkai's grip.

"She tends to get over excited, for all she's supposed to be the Princess of the Forest Fairies. Even back when she and I were paired up by the Great Deku Tree she had a tendency to go overboard sometimes."

Arkai stared at this new stranger, confused.

"Paired up by the Deku Tree?"

The Sage of Courage chuckled.

"Forgive my ancestor, he forgets that besides Navi and I, no one else knows his spirit is bound to this temple. He is Link'aren, the Hero of Time, and the first Hero to wield the Master Sword and the Triforce of Courage. After I woke his spirit up by accident, he helped me plan some of the trials here... like the one you faced in the previous chamber... The Test of Self Sacrifice."

Arkai stared.

"Test of Self Sacrifice?"

Link'iru nodded.

"When you reached this floor there were three tests laid before you. The Trial of Determination... Navi's idea that one... The Trial of Self Sacrifice. And the Trial of Honour. A true Hero must be determined, and keep going even when all others would have given up in despair. They must be willing to sacrifice their life for others and for the world, with no hesitation. And lastly they must hold true to honour, for no true Hero would stoop to the same foul tactics as the forces of evil... You have passed all three, and in doing so have at last reached the final room of the Temple." He walked towards the final door, opening it and gesturing Arkai to go through. "Welcome to the Sacred Chamber of the Temple of Courage... The resting place of the Master Sword..."

Arkai headed through the door, eyes widening at the sight of the circular chamber beyond. Many small alcoves were set into the walls, although all were empty, and in the centre of the Triforce symbol on the floor, thrust into the small stone pedestal there... was the blue and silver blade called the Master Sword.

Arkai stood there, frozen, as the Sage and his two companions entered behind him and the door closed. He took a step towards the blade, but stopped to glance uncertainly at the Sage beside him.

"Is this real? I'm not dreaming, am I? I've really made it down here?"

Link'iru smiled again, nodding.

"I assure you, you have, and this is indeed real. You have passed the many trials of my Temple, and I must say you did a very good job, though you seemed extremely ticked off with me in the Shadow Realm...."

Arkai looked puzzled.

"What? I was more angry at that dark version of myself, not at you."

Link cleared his throat and averted his gaze.

"Actually... that _was_ me... The Six Realms of the Elements are all constructs I created in pocket dimensions, the people in them nothing but magical puppets. Everything you saw in terms of buildings, plants, animals, and the likes were real, as were my Guardians and myself... For the animals it was like living on an island, nothing that would harm them, but for sentient people I would never subject them to such." He looked at Arkai again, eyes steady. "As for me being present in each... I was Kir'iran, the one who led you to the Wolverines' Lair. I was Tailiu, the Nocto who rescued you from the side of the mountain. I was Arrau, the little boy who helped you subdue Spharas. I was Dark Arkai, the dark spectre of yourself from the mirror. I was Yokrl, the frog who taught you the importance of remembering who you fight for. And I was Shiu'an, the Ethera who taught you how to weave light and to fly... Every step of the way I have guided and taught you, and you have learned my lessons well and overcome every obstacle I placed before you. You defeated each of my Guardians, and earned their help in the battle to come. So I now name you Arkai, the Hero of Realms."

Arkai gaped, totally and utterly stunned.

"You... you were there _all that time!_ Right in front of me?!!"

Link looked amused.

"As I said to you just before you entered the temple, I would be seen but not seen, my voice heard but not heard. I have stood beside you all this time, watching over you, just as Navi and 'Aren have watched you using my magical window." He waved his hand, all of Arkai's gear appearing in the chamber with a clatter, and pointed at the tangled mass that was supposed to be a bedroll. "And now you need to rest. I'll go get you some descent food from the Light Realm, and supplies to get you back to Hyrule City. We'll finish up the formalities once you're ready to return to Queen Zerana."

He turned as if to leave, Arkai reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"I can't waste any more time! I've been in this Temple for over two _months_. Who knows what's happened to the people of the Great Sea in that time!"

The Sage of Courage glanced back at him.

"Hyrule's time has no meaning in this part of the temple, nor in the Six Realms... As I said before, each of them is in a pocket dimension of my creation, and they are _outside_ of Hyrule's time. I synchronised this chamber to your movements for the duration of the tests, so 'Aren and Navi could watch you through the window. Each time you entered a Realm, this chamber slipped outside of Hyrule's time, and I have pushed it out of that flow again for now so you can rest as long as you need to... Fear not for Hyrule in the time you spend in here, for as far as Hyrule is concerned, you entered this temple just three days ago..."

He vanished into thin air with a soft flare of light, Arkai gaping at where he'd been stood.

"Th-three days? It's only been three days for Hyrule?"

Raising an eyebrow, the nearby Hero of Time spoke with a hint of bemusement.

"As someone who has experienced altered and distorted time, I can say that you'll get used to the idea... Just don't try to figure it out, it only gives you headaches."

* * *

The sun streamed down into the clearing, gilding the front of the temple with golden light as an equally golden horse whinnied in greeting to the figure who emerged from the temple entrance.

Arkai, looking up at that rising sun, then smiled as Anami charged over. The hand that stroked her nose bearing the symbol of the Triforce of Courage, the Master Sword hanging in its sheath upon his back...

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: ONWARDS TO HYRULE CITY! (Trumpet fanfare)**


	43. Return to the Queen

**Alaia Skyhawk: Here cometh the Hero of Realms!**

**-**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 43: Return to the Queen

-

Hooves pounded on the stone paved road, the land rushing past beneath Anami as above her flew her master upon wings of golden light. His supplies placed upon her back, Arkai had chosen to travel under his own power so that she could go faster and longer without tiring. The two of them had covered the distance from the Temple of Courage in two thirds of the time it should have taken, nine days instead of two weeks. Now he was almost to Hyrule City, and seeing there were people on the road up ahead he landed in Anami's saddle and banished his woven wings.

He urged her onwards, charging past a wagon and its startled occupants, followed soon by a number of others on this main trade road. The city's gates quickly approaching, he pulled his Queen's Writ from inside his tunic and brandished it as he cut the queue to enter the capital, all the while glad he'd elected to wrap the Master Sword up and tie it to Anami's saddle rather than have it in full view... He was causing enough of a stir with his arrival as it was without the chaos there would have been if the people had realised their hoped for Hero was riding through their midst.

Slowing her pace to swift canter, rather than a headlong gallop, he guided Anami through the crowded streets towards the market square, crossing it in as straight a line as he could and heading up the Royal Procession turning more than a few heads with his passage. As he neared the castle's main gate he whistled to get the guard's attention, the sight of a swordsman on a Nayruan Runner heading towards them prompting them to immediately open the gate to let him pass.

Inside the castle's walls he leapt down from Anami's saddle and took the wrapped Master Sword off it, handing her over to a stable hand with a nod.

"Get her cleaned up and rested, she's more than earned it."

About to break into a jog to go into the castle, Arkai pulled himself up short and settled into a fast walk... As 'Yorkl' would have said... _Hasten_, don't _rush,_ and _yes_ there is a difference...

He neared the castle doors, focused on his destination, and totally unprepared for what happened next. A familiar voice shouted from his left, a figure that would once have filled him with dread bearing down on him... It was his _father_.

The man scowled, brushing aside a member of the castle staff who tried to intercept him.

"You boy! How dare you run off like that, then show up again like you're someone important!" He came right up to Arkai, who no longer shrunk back from him but instead stood straight... and eye to eye. "I _told_ the queen that sending you off was a waste of time! Look at you, you're filthy and no sign of a Hero in sight! She is a fool!"

Several people nearby began to mutter, one castle servant speaking up.

"Now see here, Her Majesty permitted you to stay here and wait for your son's return after you came here demanding she call him back. You disrespect her generosity."

Arkai's father turned to glare at the servant.

"Generosity? Bah, she did it so she could 'prove me wrong' when my son returned here."

Arkai sighed, shaking his head.

"More likely she wanted you to learn from the experience, learn not to judge people so quickly without truly knowing them... Especially when the person in question is one of your own sons."

Arkai turned to walk away, his father's face turning red in outrage as he grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Don't you turn your back on _me_, boy! You are coming home with me, now! And that is final! No more of this foolish nonsense about you maybe being the Hero!"

Trying to take another step, and feeling how tight the grip on his shoulder was, Arkai sighed.

"I suppose you had this coming..."

Arkai dropped to a crouch and spun, kicking his father's feet from under him. He then sent out several lines of light, and wrapped them securely round the downed man, tying him up from shoulders to ankles.

Arkai's father turned pale and started to splutter, while the people watching this fracas backed up in surprise.

"Wh-what sorcery is this?!"

Arkai sighed again, starting to unwrap the cloth around the sword held in his right hand.

"Something I learnt from the Sage of Courage, not long before he gave me _this_." Arkai reached into the end of the cloth bundle and grabbed the now accessible hilt, drawing the Master Sword out into full view and holding it up for his father to see. "'I am not the one who must face this coming darkness, instead it must be one who must discover the courage they hold within'... Those were the words in the message he left to Hyrule, and those words have come to pass... I, who was hesitant and fearful, now face the path before me without doubts. _Learn_ from this, Father, don't judge others by the image you give them yourself, judge them by what they truly are... Now, I have to go speak with Queen Zerana, so I bid you good day..."

Arkai turned and strode away, replacing the plain sword on his back with the blue and silver one; a flick of his fingers dissolving the light that bound his father although this time the man didn't try to stop him.

As Arkai entered the castle's entrance hall, servants and visitors made way for him as word of what had happened outside and the sight of the blue hilt protruding above his left shoulder brought hope to their eyes. He ascended the stairway to the upper levels swiftly, glad he remembered the route to the queen's office after all the time since he'd last been here.

He was just turning into the hallway it was on when he almost barrelled right into someone, that someone being a blond-haired man in silver and green armour.

Taran looked startled, backing up a step in surprise.

"Arkai?"

Arkai allowed himself a small smile at the Champion's reaction, lifting his left hand to show a symbol that glowed there at his bidding.

"I am the Hero of Realms, and I'm here seeking the help of Queen Zerana and the Rito Chieftain." The smile widened into a grin. "Surprised to see me? I'd say 'back so soon' but from my perspective I spent a couple of _months_ inside the Temple of Courage... Apparently, for Hyrule, it was only about three days, or so the Sage of Courage told me."

Taking note of the entirely different young man who stood before him, Taran stared for a moment longer before shaking his head.

"It shows... Are you really Arkai? Or did someone switch him with you?"

Arkai laughed.

"It's me, Taran. I've battled in six different Realms, defeated Six Guardians, and had who knows how many lessons pounded into me and I have the bruises to prove it... I sort of forgot to be scared about it all about halfway thought. From there on out, I just got on with it... being scared anymore seemed a bit pointless by then."

He took Taran by the arm and headed down the hallway, the older man regarding him still with a degree of surprise.

"So what's the Sage of Courage doing now? Did he seal his temple again after you left?"

Arkai shook his head.

"No, he reopened the Doors to the Temples of Earth and Wind, and sent his Guardians out to alert the Sages of the Sacred Realm to be prepared to act. Right now he's channelling part of his own power to the Master Sword, to help us use it as a focus to find Malice."

Taran blinked.

"Malice?"

The Hero stared for a moment, before realising the Champion didn't have a clue who he was talking about.

"I've named the evil that controls the mist, Malice, because that's exactly the look that was in its eyes when I saw them during the attack on Nae Lanai. I had to call it something, and 'Malice' just seemed to fit."

"Indeed." They stopped outside the queen's office, Taran's expression solemn as he spoke in quite voice so as the occupant wouldn't hear. "Queen Zerana has faced a great deal since you set out from here, not least many more attacks on coastal towns... and many more people being Changed. Once word had come from North Port that you had set out for the Temple of Courage, she sent word out across the kingdom that a potential Hero had gone to seek the Master Sword. It gave the people hope, but with all the attacks it's still been rather grim. Whatever you faced in the Temple of Courage, the real test starts now... The moment you enter that room, the weight of stopping this evil will fall squarely on your shoulders."

Arkai looked thoughtful, before he gave Taran a tiny smile.

"But you don't realise, I've been carrying it ever since I left here. I put that weight on myself the moment I set foot outside the city gates, and that weight along with the consequences if I failed was what pushed me to keep going. It pushed me to keep trying, even when at times I was terrified to the point of being frozen to the spot."

He patted a stunned Taran on the shoulder, before opening the door of the office and stepping inside without hesitation.

Zerana was stood at the window, gazing out to sea, and while he couldn't see her face he knew how burdened she was by the slump of her shoulders. She was despairing, trying desperately to hold onto hope when in truth it seemed lost.

Arkai walked slowly across the room, coming to a stop behind her just as she spoke.

"Taran, I told you to go find out what that fuss was. I don't need you hovering at my shoulder as if I'm going to break down or something."

Arkai started to smile, his voice amused.

"And what if I told you that it wasn't Taran stood behind you, but rather someone you'd be very glad to see."

She stiffened, spinning round to face him with wide eyes. She stared at him, frozen, her gaze moving to rest on the blue hilt that poked above his shoulder. Then, after a moment more of hesitation, she flung her arms around him and pressed her face into his shoulder.

"_You did it! You were the one! I _knew _you were the one!_"

Arkai lifted a hand to her hair, as she began to sob into his shoulder in relief.

"It wasn't easy, but I passed the Sage of Courage's trails. He sends his regards, and his promise of aid during what's to come." He pushed her back a little, so he could see her tear-dampened face. "I need you to send word to the Rito Chieftain, asking him to come here as quickly as he can. I need both you and him to help me locate where in the Great Sea that the evil, Malice, has made its lair. 'Power to fuel the search, Courage to sense the darkness, and Wisdom to show the place.' That's what Link told me when he gave me the Triforce of Courage. The three Keepers need to work together if we're to have a chance of finding it."

She straightened, wiping the tears from her face and composing herself. The change in her was immediate, despair had been replaced by purpose. She turned to Taran, where he still stood in the doorway.

"Go to the Royal Messengers and have one leave for Dragon Roost immediately, with word that the Chieftain needs to come to here with all haste."

Taran nodded.

"I'm on it."

He strode away, the office door drifting closed, Zerana turning back to the window and looking down at the castle grounds below.

"Still, I wonder what that commotion was near the entrance. I suppose I'll find out later."

She was smiling a little, in amusement at her own idle curiosity.

Arkai smothered a chuckle.

"Actually, that was me." She turned to face him, surprised, as he continued wryly. "It seems my father followed me here, and that you let him stay to wait for me to return... He was rather, opinionated, when he confronted me... When he tried to stop me entering the castle, well... I flattened him by kicking his feet from under him." He laughed. "For only the second time in my life I've stood up to him, face-to-face, and I think that this time I finally got through to him. Whether or not he'll forgive me for it I don't know, but I can worry about that later."

Zerana brought at hand to her mouth, apologetic.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I figured his attitude was because he was worried about you and taking it out on those around him, that's why I let him stay here."

Arkai snorted.

"He's stubborn as a mule, and places a lot of standing in his own opinions. It's something that's kept our family together and strong, but at the same time it leaves him blind sometimes to the things right in front of him. I don't hate him for it, not anymore. I'm not the layabout good-for-nothing that left Nae Lanai, I've grown up a lot since I first set out... It's hard to belief it's only been about five m... sorry, _three_ months, since that day I saw the eyes in the mist. It feels like _years_ when I consider how much I've changed."

Zerana smiled, guiding him towards the door.

"It's time where you've worked hard and endured much by way of hardships. Let's get you a guest room sorted and you can get some rest. It will be at least three days before Chieftain Koanli will arrive here. You can afford to rest until then."

* * *

A sigh drifted through the room, Arkai staring at the ceiling trying not to go stir-crazy. Two days, he'd been here for two days and had ended up spending most of that time holed up in Queen Zerana's office. It was the only place he could 'hide' from the attentions of a fearful populace, who now they knew a Hero had arisen kept pestering him. He couldn't tell them something he didn't know, and he didn't know how much longer it would be before he found and faced Malice. All he could do for now was avoid offending them, or making them think he was arrogant, by pretending to be busy going over maps and such with the queen. In truth he'd spent much of the time trying to get some extra sleep on the small couch in that workroom, something rather hard to do seeing as he was several inches taller than it was long.

Giving up for the moment on his attempted nap, Arkai sat up and sighed. He wanted nothing more right now than to be able to go down to the shore and watch the waves, a sure fire thing to relax him had the fact that he'd be pestered even at the Royal Dock not been a factor. The Sage of Courage hadn't been kidding when he'd said Heroes had it rough when it came to dealing with the public, and if not for the lessons in the Water Realm, Arkai was sure he'd have put his foot in his mouth several times by now.

Running a hand over his face in frustration, he mulled over his options. He could continue to hide in here for the rest of the day, or he could go do something more constructive...

...Like talk to his father...

He winced at the thought. After he'd knocked his father over outside the castle, the man had retreated to the room he'd been given use of in the guest wing. He'd come out once or twice, but according to Taran it was only for meals, after which the man would return to his chamber. He knew his father was avoiding him, just like he was avoiding his father.

He sighed.

"Like father, like son, eh? Who would have thought I'd have so much in common with him?"

He got to his feet and headed out the door, deciding that this was something he had to deal with,_ now_. Walking through the castle, acknowledging the greetings of those he passed but not really listening to them, it didn't take him long to reach the room in question. A firm knock on the door got a grumble from within, the occupant opening the door a few moments later.

Arkai's father stared at him, hesitating a moment before scowling and starting to close the door.

"Go away!"

Arkai stuck his foot in the door, holding it open and calmly regarding the man he'd both feared and wanted to have be proud of him for most of his life.

"Look, we can both sulk and avoid each other, or we can act like mature adults and _talk_. What's it going to be, Dad?" The man stayed silent, still scowling, Arkai cursing under his breath. "Dammit, Dad, why are you always like this? Ever since I was little, all I wanted was for you to be proud of me. For you to see me do something and say 'good job' or 'well done'. When I failed with the bow, during that first lesson, and you walked away from me like I'd shamed our family... it tore my heart out. When Jaran taught me how to use a bow, and use it as well as any of my brothers, I thought you would be happy." He gritted his teeth. "When I showed you what I'd learned... When I hit the target perfect every time out of those twenty-five arrows, I waited for you to tell me I'd made you proud... But you just walked away, and tore my heart apart for the second time. You wondered why I ended up causing trouble around Nae Lanai, why I didn't put any effort in anymore... It was because you took away the only reason I had to even _try._" Arkai took a deep breath, pulling his foot out of the doorway and turning to walk away. "When I saw the eyes in the mist, I found a reason to rebel against the image people had of me. When Queen Zerana asked me to do the Pilgrimage of Sages, she gave me a reason to try to change myself... And when I reached the Temple of Courage and first set foot inside it, I found the courage in myself to make that change. If you can't accept me for what I am, who I am, then every moment I spent trying to make you proud of me was a wasted dream."

He started to walk away, but stopped when the whisper of a moving hinge and an opening door was followed by his father's voice.

"You stopped trying... because of me?"

Arkai turned, to see his father now stood in the hallway with an expression of slowly dawning shame and guilt on his face.

"I tried so hard, but every time I didn't live up to your expectations fast enough you just cast me aside and heaped all the praise on my brothers instead. They all learned much faster than me, even if I was always as good as them once I'd caught up. I was jealous, and vented it by causing trouble instead. Because you wouldn't pay attention to me for all the good things I did, I ended up trying for that attention by doing stupid things instead. In the end it backfired on me, because you ended up thinking even less of me. So eventually I just gave up, and started dreaming of being a sailor and getting away from you and Nae Lanai."

They stood, silent, neither able to look at the other... until eventually the elder of the two broke that silence, and took the first step through the barrier that had formed between them over the years.

The father walked over to the son, and offered his hand.

"Apologies could never undo the hurt I've caused you, but you _are_ my son, and maybe we can change this like you changed yourself... if we can have the courage to forgive each other."

Arkai stiffened in shock. Was his father really saying this? Had words finally bridged the gulf between them. He looked up, hazel eyes wide, to see for the first time in his life his father casting aside his own opinions to instead listen to the words of his wayward son.

Arkai looked at the offered hand, and after a moment's hesitation, he clasped and shook it with a trembling smile.

"Let's try again, once all this is over. When I come home to Nae Lanai, we can work together to make our family something that all of Hyrule will look up to."

In unspoken accord they went down the hallway, heading outside into the castle's gardens. They weren't about to start hugging each other or anything, but something was now there that had been lost a long time ago, something that would heal given time. After wandering for a while, content to be in each other's company, then eventually ascended to one of the 'public' observation areas along the top of the castle walls. Most of the walls were restricted to the castle guards, but some areas people were allowed up to admire the view of the city and the ocean.

The two of them stood there, leaning on the wall between the battlements to watch the rise and fall of the nearby waves. It was a peaceful moment, but one that wasn't to last.

Arkai's father saw it first, his shout of alarm jolting his son to alert as well as the guards stationed on the wall nearby. Alarm bells began to ring, screams rising from the city at that portent.

The Dark Mist... Dark Mist was rushing towards Hyrule City, and even from this distance Arkai could now sense the taint of evil at its core. Instinctively he reached for a sword that wasn't there, cursing under his breath as he saw the dark fog closing in on the shore. He was supposed to protect these people, but how? The mist was pure darkness, magical barriers were useless against it...

He blinked. Wait, wasn't the opposite of darkness, light?

Making his decision he climbed up into one of the notches in the battlements, his father reaching out to stop him as he threw himself out into open air. With a speed that hadn't been possible for him before he'd gotten the Triforce of Courage, he wove his wings of light in the blink of an eye and flew as fast as they would take him to a point just above the main city docks. Hovering there he called on its power, using its sheer raw energy to fuel what he was about to attempt.

Strands of light exploded outwards from the hands he held outstretched before him, weaving into a barrier of light that spread out from him to encompass the entire city shore, curving inland to cup the capital in the embrace of a protective dome. He didn't make it solid, solid wasn't the point... The point was that the dome was woven out of light.

He released the weaving, a jolt of his will making it settle into its form and stay there like the Road in the Light Realm. Hovering just inside it, Arkai could see the mist just a few yards away, rushing towards him before it struck his barrier and recoiled.

A feral shriek rose from the heart of the cloud of mist, three pairs of eyes glaring at him in rage from those depths. And then they were gone, the mist vanishing as cheers rose from the city.

He looked down to where the people on the docks gazed up at him, waving and cheering their praise, and he acknowledged them with a small nod before flying back to the castle... He'd thwarted Malice this day, but he had no doubt that it would seek revenge by attacking elsewhere soon. Finding where it had its lair was a task of indeterminable duration, and he could not in good conscience risk those he could protect being hurt while his attention was elsewhere.

_I think Link is going to have to make good on is offer of aid a bit sooner than he might have expected... I need to borrow one of his Guardians..._

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Woo for character development and awesome Arkai PWNAGE! I'll leave you guys to guess which Guardian Arkai wants to 'borrow', although it should be pretty obvious XD**


	44. To Protect Against the Dark Mist

**Alaia Skyhawk: No, I'm not dead, just been very busy.**

**-**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 44: To Protect Against the Dark Mist

-

Arkai paced back and forth, the queen's concerned blue gaze following his movements from where she sat at her desk. Outside the windows Arkai's woven barrier still stood, immovable until such a time as it would start to fray or be removed by him. He'd protected the people this time, but what about the rest of those in coastal and island settlements around the Great Sea? He couldn't abandon them to go look for Malice, he had to act to help them first.

Queen Zerana frowned, still watching his pacing.

"Are you even sure the Sage of Courage will know you need to speak to him? And what about Malice, are you really going to postpone looking for it? Chieftain Koanli will be here by tomorrow."

Arkai stopped, turning to face her with a grim expression.

"I made Malice angry today, by thwarting that attack. It will go after another town soon, I'm sure of it, and it will keep attacking and moving from one town to another. How are we supposed to pin down its location when it keeps moving? If I can get protections set up over all of the vulnerable settlements, then Malice will have no choice but to go and try figure out something else to try and get around them. And to do that, it's likely it..."

"Will go back to its lair where it believes we will not be able to find it."

Arkai jumped in surprise, Zerana also twitching at the disembodied voice. A chuckle came from the air beside him, a figure in blue and white stepping into view from that air as he came though a larger version of his 'window'.

Arkai looked relieved to see the white-haired Sage.

"You came. I was starting to wonder."

Link raised an eyebrow.

"Well I _did_ have a few things to finish setting up before I came here. I was keeping an ear on you with my window, but couldn't give it my full attention and watch you. All I heard was a lot of screaming, then cheering, and then a while later you asking to speak to me. What happened?"

Arkai tilted his chin to indicate the view from the window, and the massive woven dome.

Link went to it, pressing a hand to one of the panes in surprise.

"What prompted you to do that?"

Queen Zerana rose to her feet, moving to stand at the window with them.

"Malice attacked with the Dark Mist about an hour ago, and Arkai blocked the mist with that barrier."

Arkai nodded.

"The mist is made of darkness, and isn't physical, so I thought to try blocking it with pure light. It worked, but I really angered Malice in the process. I need to set up more of these barriers over the vulnerable towns before I can look for him."

Link looked thoughtful.

"So that's why you called me, you want Pedagus to go weave barriers over the other towns... I'm sorry, but I can't send him out like that, not alone... It counts as Pedagus violating the Laws of the Balance."

Arkai cursed.

"Dammit, it's going to take too long if I have to go from town to town myself, and even with the Triforce of Courage I'd collapse from exhaustion before I'm anywhere near done!"

The Sage of Courage raised a hand, stopping the tirade.

"But... if _you_ go with him and do the actual weaving yourself, there's nothing stopping him from helping you move about and loaning you the extra power you'll need." He frowned. "Knowing Pedagus can help shield the people, I cannot turn away, laws or no laws... The good thing about the Balance is that, if a mortal is the one directing the power, then it doesn't cause a disturbance. It's the single workaround in existence to avoid breaking the Laws, but I'm not going to tell you this will be easy, Arkai... Pedagus's power is tremendous, and he is a demigod almost as powerful as me. Gods can create gods, and I spared no effort when creating my Guardians. He's free to act as he will inside the Light Realm, but the Balance out here in the Mortal Realm restrains his power. The problem is, when you start to channel his might to create the barriers, you will face the full brunt of it. Take it as a warning, a warning not to push your limits too far while doing this. If you start to tire, stop, or Pedagus may inadvertently destroy you." He sighed. "You're like my fellow Sages in that respect, able only to channel and control a small portion of the power that will be available to you, unlike I who possess Divine Blood and who can use all of what I have. Don't try to do anything rash with the power you are loaned."

He disappeared back through his invisible door, a ringing equine cry outside the window heralding the arrival of the Light Guardian. A portal just like those Arkai had encountered in the Temple of Courage, appeared in the sky and Pedagus burst forth from it.

At his imperious neigh Arkai glanced at Zerana and started to climb onto the window ledge.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Tell Chieftain Koanli I'll try not to keep him waiting too long."

He then threw himself from the window, flying up to Pedagus on woven wings to settle astride the Guardian's shoulders, and then like a comet Pedagus took off across the Hyrulian sky.

* * *

He supposed it could be called favouritism, but he went to Nae Lanai first. Arriving there barely two hours after leaving Hyrule City, Pedagus' speed would no doubt allow him to visit the other two towns located on the Inner Sea before the day was over. The Guardian was more than happy to loan his power to him, even if Link hadn't bid it to, but that willingness didn't lessen the impact on Arkai the first time he tapped Pedagus' strength.

The barrier of light was woven in mere seconds, but those seconds left Arkai sagging astride the Guardian barely able to stay upright. Brushing away the blood that begun to drip from his nose from the physical strain it had taken, he then sent the winged horse to the next location.

It only took an hour to reach the next one, to the northeast across the Eastern Passage. The Hero more prepared this time, he held up better under the strain, but even so he was left gasping as his body shuddered afterwards. The third town was just a blur in his memory, a blur of browns and greens and blue of sea, then lit by golden glow. He fell asleep after that, waking up several hours later in a soft bed with no clue where he was.

He sat up, grimacing at his pounding head, blearily looking at his surroundings. He got up and walked slowly over to the room's single window, stumbling backwards at what was laid outside before letting out a single laugh.

Pedagus lay curled up outside, laid upon the cobbles of a courtyard. Royal banners, hung around the courtyard walls, proclaimed this was somewhere important, and the windmill visible above the rooftop ahead of him confirmed the rest. He was in the Royal Compound on Windfall Island, Pedagus likely having brought him here after he'd passed out from exhaustion.

Arkai located his clothing, frowning at the dried brown spots of blood on the front of his green tunic. There was no point in washing it though, since chances were he was just going to get more on it today. He didn't have anything by way of gear with him, his weapons and shield all still in his room at Hyrule Castle. Donning the tunic and his boots was all he really had to do to be ready to leave. A single glance from one of Pedagus' blue eyes when he next looked out the window told him that doing Windfall's barrier right now was out of the question, the Guardian wanted him to rest some more first.

Sighing, Arkai slipped out of the room though the window, crossing the courtyard to stand at the archway leading out onto the compound's docking pier. He was still stood there when a man wearing the Triforce-within-ring pendant of the Courage Line Clan came up behind him.

The man raised a blond eyebrow, his green eyes glinting with a hint of amusement.

"And lo the Hero is awake, after arriving here fast asleep atop his most unusual steed... snoring I might add."

Arkai flushed pink for a moment, before bursting out laughing.

"Well I earned that nap, besides I have time to rest. Pedagus made it clear to me a minute ago that he's not letting me do anything for a bit longer... I passed out after the third barrier yesterday."

The man nodded, tapping the side of his head.

"Taran contacted me and the rest of our family, to let us know to keep an eye out for you. How many places do you intend to shield?"

Arkai fell silent, thinking over a mental map of the Great Sea and the settlements scattered across it.

"North and South Ports, Windfall, Outset, Eyestone, Saiweve, Dragonroost, and the seven floating towns. The rest of the towns near sea are all high up on cliffs and out of reach of the Dark Mist."

The man sighed.

"So that's fourteen, and you collapsed after doing three."

Arkai winced.

"Yeah, which means best case is that it takes me most of a week to do them, longer if I can't handle the strain of doing three a day."

At the Hero's grimace the man placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't think of the length of time being a failure, that you're even able to do it that quick is a triumph over the evil that is attacking our lands." He smiled. "I'm Velan, by the way, Talan's younger brother... I understand you've already met my daughter."

Arkai blinked.

"You're Taleen's father?"

A nod was the reply.

"Aye, she is, and she's mighty pleased with you after hearing from Talan about you being the Hero of Realms. Now come one, time for you to get some food into that no doubt empty stomach of yours."

As if to answer, Arkai's gut began to grumble, prompting him to laugh.

"Alright alright, I'm coming. Hold your horses."

At the horse comment, Pedagus glanced in his direction from across the courtyard and let out a snort, Arkai still smiling as he passed the Guardian and followed Velan to a well-earned meal.

* * *

It was several hours later that he stood on the shore of Windfall Island, hands held out before him while the Guardian of the Light Realm stood at his back. Behind the two of them the people of the island stood watching, hopeful and in awe as Arkai began to weave the barrier of light that would protect them from the Dark Mist.

Arkai reached out to Pedagus with his mind, using the previous day's experience to do his best to hold back the wellspring of power inside the Guardian even as he began to draw from it. The effort brought sweat to his face immediately, but calm focus instead of yesterday's sense of urgency meant he managed far better than he'd expected. The barrier spread outwards from his hand to cup the island in its entirety, the Hero only staggering slightly when he released it from his grip and the flow of power through him stopped.

He wavered a little on his feet, blinking a little in disorientation until a warm nose snuffled against the back of his neck. He turned to face Pedagus, sensing the Guardian's approval even as the nearby people cheered. Several of the residents of the Royal Compound, Velan included, came over to him to wish him luck and safe journey before he climbed astride Pedagus' shoulders. Those cheers followed him as he rode off into the sky to the south and the town of North Port, which he knew, with Pedagus' speed, was just a couple of hours away.

Sat there with those great white wings beating either side of him, Arkai mused over the work he still had to do. Five days, maybe six, before he could return to Hyrule City and resume the search for Malice. It seemed a long time to wait, but at the same time he knew there was no avoiding it. Hunting down Malice would be pointless if he allowed anyone else to be harmed in the meantime.

Still musing, he began to mull over another problem. Once he'd been to North Port he would have to go northeast to the recently built floating town of Crescent Town. Barely twenty years old, the town only had four barges versus the dozen most of the others had. He would have to anchor his barrier to the town itself somehow, so it would follow the town as it sailed around its home territory. If Crescent Town was going to be awkward, then Sea Spire, when he got that far, was going to be a major headache. Being on the major trade route around the mainland's outer coast, in five hundred years the town had grown to twenty-eight barges arranged in three clusters. Would he make a barrier for each? But what about the safety of the people when they used boats to sail between them and leave one barrier to enter another? Make one big one? But would he anchor it to just one cluster with space for the other two to follow, or try somehow to anchor it to all three without it distorting as they moved in relation to each other?

He shook his head, muttering under his breath. He'd have to figure _something_ out when he got that far, but it would have to wait for now. The town of North Port was drawing near, along with it the task of his next weaving.

* * *

He was half asleep by the time he neared Crescent Town, the waning light of the day slowly giving way to a hint of stars in the east while the sky glowed gold and red in the west. North Port's barrier had tired him, but like at Windfall it seemed he'd mastered enough control over the power Pedagus loaned him that he'd not suffered anymore unwanted nosebleeds. Fighting back a yawn, and looking forward to sleeping after he'd done the floating town's barrier, Arkai absently patted Pedagus' shoulder they way he'd done with Anami. The Guardian whickered in response, appreciating the sentiment of the gesture even as Arkai stiffened.

He remained still, Pedagus glancing back at him as the Hero tried to figure out why he felt like ice was crawling up his spine. Arkai looked down at the sea below, peering through the failing light, eyes searching for the place some sixth sense was telling him to look.

He found it a moment later, the Triforce of Courage shivering within him as he saw that which its power had permitted him to perceive. A shadow moved beneath the waves, long and serpentine with three heads stretched out pointing in the direction of the nearby cluster of barges... Three heads whose malevolent glowing eyes he could see beneath the water even from this height.

It was Malice... and it was heading for Crescent Town...

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yeah, I'm evil, ending this chapter with a cliffhanger XD**


	45. Race Against Malice

**Alaia Skyhawk: Dun dun dun DUN!**

**-**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 45: Race Against Malice

-

Staring at that shadow beneath the waves, _knowing_ it was Malice, and _knowing_ that it was about to attack Crescent Town, Arkai dug his heels into Pedagus' sides and sent the Guardian into a steep dive towards the settlement. The pegasus let out a squeal of fury as the two of them streaked past the shadow, a responding bass roar beneath the waves making the waters tremor like a massive drumbeat of doom.

Arkai ignored it, urging Pedagus to move with all speed towards the town and the people living there. Those people turned to look southwards as the echo of Pedagus' cry reached them, seeing the winged white horse charging towards them and the sea surge upwards behind it. Behind him the sea's surface split, Arkai glancing back to see a wall of spray soaring upwards. Fading light glinted off a glimpse of black scales beyond those droplets, three pairs of scarlet and yellow eyes fixed on him as a snarl heralded a bolt shadow being blasted in his direction. It stuck him, sending him reeling in his seat, black fog surrounding him and leaving him confused. He blinked, his mind slowing to a crawl as he fought to recall what he was doing and why.

Pedagus lurched beneath him, a flare of light from its wings blasting the fog away. Even with it gone Arkai's face remained blank, until the Guardian craned its head back and nipped him on the leg.

The pain jolted him, forcing him to look into the Guardian's blue eyes, his mind grasping that image and dragging itself from the depths. He gasped as awareness returned, gripping tightly to Pedagus' mane while behind him Malice crashed back beneath the waves. That fog, it had been different from the Dark Mist. It had blotted out thought, trying to force him to forget what was going on and what he was supposed to be doing.

Glancing back, he sensed rather than saw Malice turn and head eastwards, but he felt no relief. Instead all he felt was dread, and a deep sense of foreboding. It was almost two hours later, as he was resting after creating the town's barrier, that he realised why and charged out of the home he was staying in for the night. Out in the narrow street that ran down the centre of the town's main residential barge, he leapt astride a half-dozing Pedagus and shouted out.

"Wake up! Malice is heading for Dragonroost!"

The Guardian jolted, instantly awake, as around him people came out of homes to see the pair take off into the skies.

Arkai clung to the Guardian's back, pressed as flat as he could manage while reaching out with his mind for that sense of discord that was Malice. At the speed Pedagus could fly they were about four hours away from Dragonroost, but Malice had a two-hour head start. That Pedagus could fly faster than Malice could swim was little comfort, not when Arkai couldn't be sure just how fast Malice was. Gritting his teeth, he could only pray as Pedagus streaked across the night sky towards the peak-topped island that was home to the Rito Tribe.

It was just over three hours later that Arkai sensed Malice below, and he and Pedagus got ahead of it. Dragonroost was perilously close by, oblivious to the approaching threat. Arkai didn't even wait for Pedagus to land when they got there, instead starting to draw on the Guardian's power as soon as they arrived. Startled Rito watchmen ruffled feathers in surprise when the golden barrier appeared and blazed against the night darkness, their eyes widening when a distant scream of rage resounded from the west as Malice saw the dome of light and knew it had been thwarted.

Arkai gritted his teeth, closing his eyes and focusing. Malice was right at the edge of his range, but remained in range long enough for him to know it had gone south. He also had a rough idea of how fast it was now, and knew he'd have to rest while he could before catching up to it again.

He had Pedagus land, dismounting as several of the nearby watchmen landed and waving off their concerns.

* * *

It was after the following dawn had broken that Arkai found himself arrowing towards Saiweve. After resting barely an hour at Dragonroost he'd set off again, this time heading for the floating town of Dawn Crest that sailed the seas east of Death Mountain. He'd gotten there ahead of Malice with a bit more leeway this time, although the beast had still been close enough for the echo of its scream to be heard ringing across the waves. He'd rested again after that, Arkai sleeping for a couple of hours before Pedagus nudged him awake and they took flight once more. When they'd passed over Malice this time, it had sent a bolt of black lightning skywards in an attempt to knock them out of the sky. The attack had fallen short of the height they were at, but the attack itself told Arkai that Malice had more powers than just the evil black fog it could create.

He put the thought to the back of his mind, putting his concentration on gathering the power from Pedagus that he would need. Gliding down to land on the shore, strands of light streamed out in their wake to form the dome that would protect this place and thwart Malice yet again. It was just as well that the Guardian had landed, for the effort of this barrier caused the exhausted Arkai to faint.

The impact with the ground as he fell from Pedagus' back roused him, Arkai pushing himself upright to sit on the sand while people from nearby rushed over to him.

He was pulled to his feet, Pedagus whickering in concern while shouts rang out and the people rushed Arkai into a nearby home. He passed out again after that, too tired to be really aware of what was going on. When he did wake up it was almost noon, and the woman who owned the house promptly placed a bowl of food on a tray on his lap.

She pointed at the bowl with a frown.

"Eat, you have time."

Arkai, who hadn't needed to be told twice, glanced at her before eating the first spoonful of the stew the bowl contained.

"How do you know I have time?"

A tilt of her head indicated outside as she replied.

"The Guardian, Pedagus, explained it to us while you slept. You've been asleep for five hours, but he says you still have about four to spare and still be able to go to South Port and reach Anglau before that monster can get around the Forest Peninsula."

Having gulped down the stew while she'd talked, Arkai sighed and slid his feet out from under the blanket of the bed.

"Then I'd best leave now. I can sleep some more while I ride to South Port, and get another meal and some more rest there. I won't be able to relax if I stay here any longer."

She started to protest but one glance from him stopped her, the woman sighing.

"Very well, but at least take a cloak. I can't believe you travelled through the night in just that tunic, you could have froze."

She shoved a thick cloak into his grasp, his smile and nod thanking her before he went outside. He and Pedagus set of to the west, over the land that Malice had no choice but to go around. It became a blur after that, Arkai tying himself to Pedagus' back using woven light so he could sleep while they flew. He beat Malice to Anglau, that now familiar distant scream urging him onwards as he now headed for Outset. Behind him he sensed Malice veer northwest towards South Port, but knowing that town was already safe he could turn his attention to the Outset before going north to cut off Malice again before it could reach Eyestone. He would have no time to rest though. Malice had only been an hour or so behind him, meaning that it would literally be a flying visit to the next town before going to the next, and even then it was pushing it. Outset glided past beneath when they arrived there, Arkai mustering the strength to weave the barrier of light before slumping into unconsciousness atop Pedagus.

When Eyestone approached, near mid-afternoon the next day, Arkai had to fight to focus. He'd not eaten since South Port, almost a full day previous, and had ridden constant since then. Only the sight of Malice's shadow beneath the water roused him, adrenaline bringing him to alert. Once again Malice attacked from the concealment of the waters, again only glimpses of black scales reaching Arkai's eyes. Pedagus was wise to the attacks now, easily dodging the bolts of black lightning while pulling away from the pursuing evil.

When they arrived at Eyestone it was to skid to a halt on the beach, the Guardian's hooves churning up a spray of sand that was further whipped into maelstrom by the beating of his wings. Atop him Arkai bit his lip and wearily wove the town's barrier, his exhausted mind's grip on Pedagus' power slipping enough that once again Arkai found fresh blood decorating the front of his tunic as his nose began to bleed. He was reaching his limit and he knew it, but he still had two more towns to do. Ocean Crest and Sea Spire, they were the last two towns that were vulnerable to attack by malice. He _had_ to see them safe. He had to...

Arkai slid down from Pedagus' back, his voice hoarse as he spoke to the first of the townspeople to reach him.

"I need food and water... I can't stay for long." Another roar shattered the air, a bolt of black lightning striking the barrier to be reflected by the purifying power of the woven light. He swallowed harshly as he sensed Malice start to circle round the north side of the Island of Eyestone and go west. "It's heading for Ocean Crest, or maybe even Sea Spire. I have to go quickly in case its going north, or I won't be able to cut it off before it gets to Sea Spire."

Several of the people who'd heard him ask for food and water returned, pressing a jug of water into his grasp and holding out bread and other items. He guzzled most of the water in the jug gratefully, tipping the remainder over his head to clean the blood from his face, before accepting a small loaf of bread and a chunk of cheese from among what was offered. He didn't want more, chances were if he had anything more than that he'd throw up.

He nodded in thanks and climbed back onto Pedagus, the Guardian spraying the onlookers with blown sand as he took flight. Food in hand, Arkai began to pick his way through it a small mouthful at a time. It would take about five hours for Pedagus to fly to Ocean Crest, so he could afford to take his time with the food and not unsettle his stomach. Even so he still ended up feeling queasy, but managed to keep down the food his body needed if he was going to last until the end of what had turned into a race against the evil it had become his destiny to fight.

Ocean Crest, being off the main trade route, was thankfully fairly small among the collection of floating towns. Eight barges being its size, Arkai managed to place its barrier without too much trouble and tie it to the central craft among them. Now speeding northwards to Sea Spire, he now dwelt on the fact that this time he'd seen no sign of Malice near the town, which meant it had done as he'd feared and gone straight for the last vulnerable settlement. Given the distance, he knew if he got there ahead of it, it would only be _just_. It was coming down to the wire, and somehow he didn't think Malice would settle for just Changing some of the people in the town using the Dark Mist... Given Malice's current rage, it was more likely it would _destroy_ Sea Spire.

Frowning, this time he didn't allow himself to sleep in the saddle for all that night was falling for the third time since this race against time had begun. With only one town left and so much at stake, even in his exhausted state he couldn't doze off. Deep in the night adrenaline filled his veins when they caught up to it, Malice coming back into range of his senses. He was so close behind it now... and also so close to town ahead. He could see the lights of its lanterns, hung from the bow and stern of each barge to warn passing ships to be wary of its presence lest they collide with it. The closer he got the more distinct the lights became, separating from one mass into three visible clusters like a constellation upon the surface of the sea. They rose and fell on the swell of the waves, the ocean's breath like a sigh unknowing of what was fast approaching.

Pedagus passed over Malice, the scream from below banishing the last of the fuzz of sleep deprivation from Arkai's mind. Tired as he was, he had a job to do and people to protect, and by all the gods he was going to do it.

He reached the first cluster of barges, the barrier forming even as he and Pedagus swept overhead. Arkai didn't try to make a single large shield, he was too tired to do it. Instead he made one just big enough to enclose the group of barges... He could always remake them bigger once this was over and he'd had the chance to rest properly.

Pedagus darted to the next cluster, to the northeast of the first, letting out an eerie wail of both anger and urgency as Malice reached the first now protected set of barges and made a failed attempt to strike it. It lifted its trio of heads above the now roiling waves around it, hissing malevolently before turning and surging towards the third of the three clusters.

Arkai cursed, weaving the barrier on the second cluster as fast as he could before sending Pedagus towards the last. Screams rose from the third cluster as black lightning stuck one of the barges, pieces of planking sent spraying outwards in lethal splinters from the point of impact. Those screams tore at his heart, fury welling up inside him. He sent the Guardian straight at Malice, Pedagus streaking past just above it before delivering a shattering kick to one head courtesy of a hind hoof.

Malice shrieked, turning its attention to the Hero and the Guardian who were circling back. Strands of light were already spreading from Arkai, surrounding the last cluster of barges and forcing the beast away from them. The only problem was that Malice was now between the pair of them and the safety of the barrier.

Pedagus, as weary as Arkai from its efforts in carrying him so far and lending him so much power, put forth one last surge of speed to fly over the enraged monster. Soaring above, cast against the star dusted sky, he dodged the bolts of black lightning that were flung its way by Malice's two side heads... but failed to see the central head's attack until too late...

The central head lunged upwards, spewing a dense cloud of black fog directly into the path of the Hero and the Guardian. Unable to dodge, the two of them ploughed into and through it.

Arkai felt it hit, bracing his mind against the expected attempt to block thoughts. However, that was not what happened. With horror he felt his strength sapped from him, the ropes of light binding him to Pedagus fading as his grip on them failed. His limbs went limp, all control of his suddenly leaden body deserting him as Pedagus made it inside the barrier... and he slipped from its back to plummet into the sea...

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: (Whistles innocently, before legging it from enraged readers for second cliffhanger in a row)**


	46. The Truth About Malice

**Alaia Skyhawk: Here's the next one :D**

**-**

**I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

**-**

Chapter 46: The Truth About Malice

-

The cold of the water hit him as he plunged into it, taking his breath away as leaden body dragged him down into the depths. That mist, it was different from the Dark Mist, and the mist he'd been hit with near Crescent Town. Back then it had been his thoughts that were drained, knowledge of his purpose fading away. This time it was his strength that had been taken, his already exhausted body not having the slightest chance of resisting it. Here and now, in the blackness of the nighttime sea, he drifted downwards trying to find the strength to swim. But he couldn't move, terror starting to rise as he began to run out of air. Was this the end? Had he failed everyone? Despair began to rise in him, as he passed beyond the barrier where its sphere cupped the underside of the barges above. Then, all of a sudden, he had air.

Gasping, his laboured breath dragged it into his lungs before he coughed. It was so dark, he couldn't see anything but the glow of his barrier above and the reflection of it on the surface of the strange bubble he was in... That was when he felt the weakness deepen.

Black fog, almost invisible in the darkness he found himself, curled up from below him. It seeped into the bubble from the water below, water where he could now see three pairs of scarlet and yellow eyes. Malice's central head regarded him gleefully, as it oozed its tainted breath into the pocket of air it had given him. Its right head came close now, also releasing fog into the bubble. As the new darkness touched him, Arkai felt his thoughts trying to fade. He gritted his teeth, focusing all his will on his purpose. He _would_ protect Hyrule, he'd promised he would!

Malice's right head stopped, tilting as if to regard him thoughtfully, before its left and final head moved in. Once again fog seeped into the bubble from below, while Arkai continued to tell himself his reason to keep fighting.

_But Malice has got me. I've already failed... I'm not strong enough..._

Arkai flinched as those thoughts came, starting to sag as his concentration was broken and the second head once again started trying to banish his memories.

His eyes started to go blank.

_It's over... I can't win... I'm just a nobody from Nai Lanai... who will never amount to anything..._

The bubble was getting smaller, Malice watching in satisfaction as its victim slowly curled up in defeat. It had won, had toyed with the one who had opposed it and was about to crush them!

The fang-filled maw of the central head opened, advancing slowly on the bubble containing Arkai, while the Hero in question then murmured the question that rose from some depth within him.

"...Never amount to anything? ...But... But I went to the queen didn't I?" Malice froze, as Arkai lifted his head and continued to murmur. "I completed the Pilgrimage of Sages, and passed the trials of the Temple of Courage... And I protected all the towns that you can reach with the Dark Mist... I _have_ amounted to something..." His eyes flicked open, weakness, ignorance, and doubt all banished in an instant at the yell that burst from his throat. "_I am the Hero of Realms!_"

Golden light blasted out from him, the Triforce of Courage destroying the bubble that held him contained and pushing him to the ocean's surface. Once there, equine teeth grabbled the back of his tunic and dragged him from the water, Pedagus placing him safely on the deck of the barge that had been struck by Malice's attack. Sat there, Arkai panted in a mixture of shock and horror. Had he almost given up? Had he almost thrown all of his efforts away?

He struggled to his feet, managing to find his voice as realisation of what he'd just learned sank in.

"Link... _Link! _I need you to bring me to the Temple of Courage _right now!_"

Moments later, while startled people looked on, an arm in blue and white reached out from thin air and then went back to whence it came, taking the soaked Hero with it. While Pedagus too disappeared into the sky, and through a portal of light.

* * *

Arkai dropped to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs, dripping water as he righted himself. Link looked on, the spirit of his ancestor also staring at Arkai with a raised eyebrow.

The Sage of Courage frowned.

"I gather you have a good reason for asking me to bring you here... I'm not exactly supposed to interfere with you directly after you left my temple with the Master Sword."

Arkai shook some of the water from his hair.

"It's a good reason, believe me..." He took a deep breath. "Tell me, what are the three forces that govern the Triforce and the world?"

Link's frown deepened.

"Power, Wisdom, and Courage. You know that as well I as do, so your point being?"

Arkai fixed him with a level gaze.

"Malice's three heads can breath mist that each cause weakness, ignorance, and doubt... I just got first hand experience of it, at close quarters I might add... If I hadn't had the Triforce of Courage to snap me out of it, I'd be dead."

The Sage froze, his ancestor also looking shocked.

Link'aren stared.

"Malice has powers directly opposing the forces that govern the Triforce?"

Arkai nodded slowly.

"That's what it looks like."

"This is _bad_..." Both of them looked at the Sage of Courage, whose expression was now grim. He glanced at them both before facing Arkai. "Tell me, what happens if you mix a fire spell and an ice spell?"

The Hero frowned.

"The cancel each other out..."

Link'iru winced.

"Actually that's not exactly correct. A _small _ice and fire spell, when combined, will cancel each other out... but when two opposing forces of magic are large enough, instead of cancelling each other they explode... The Triforce is the forces of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, and if you are right then Malice is the forces of Weakness, Ignorance, and Doubt... If Malice were to somehow get close enough to all three pieces of the Triforce at the same time, and use its power on them, the resulting clash of opposing forces could obliterate not only Hyrule but the entire world!"

Arkai stared.

"Wait, are you saying that back there, when that thing used the power of Doubt on me, the Triforce of Courage could have _exploded?!_"

Link'aren drifted over, shaking his head.

"No, the other two pieces of the Triforce will have kept yours in balance with them, protecting it. The only way Malice could destroy the Triforce would be to attack all three at the same time, which presents a problem..."

Link'iru sighed.

"Indeed, since all three will be needed to pinpoint Malice's lair. If you and the other two Keepers are going to do that, you need to do it somewhere that Malice could never reach you. Your barrier around Hyrule City is all and well, but would you be willing to risk the utter destruction of the world by relying on it?"

Arkai grimaced.

"You have a point. The barriers have held up until now, but for all we know Malice may have been pretending they work in order to trick us into thinking it's safe to meet behind one of them." He frowned. "But where do we go now? I can't even _enter_ Hyrule City right now with this at risk. Malice could have been leading me around by the nose with that chase from town to town, to fool me into thinking the woven barriers can stop all of its attacks."

Link'aren glanced at his descendant.

"You know, there _is_ one place they could use... It's not _really_ a breech of the rules that govern the Sages since they won't actually be going to the place it leads to."

Arkai got to his feet, waving a little.

"There is? Where?"

The Sage of Courage answered.

"The chamber that houses the new doorway into the Sacred Realm, high atop the Tower of the Gods... The tower is impervious to all attacks, since the Nine Sages infused it with our power to ensure the new door could never be accessed by evil. To even _touch_ the outside of the tower is to court death for lesser creatures of darkness. And to climb the outside of it high enough to threaten the Door Chamber, would be certain suicide even for something as malevolent as Malice." He then took hold of Arkai's arm with one hand and conjured a bed with magic using the other. "And now you are going to sleep. I'll tell the queen and Chieftain Koanli to go to the tower, and to go separately. They're capable of travelling the way the Sages do if they put their minds to it. You can follow once the two of them have arrived."

With that he shoved Arkai onto the bed, the Hero's sigh the only sound he made before he let the oblivion of slumber take him.

* * *

How the hell did Sages travel like this? It was, quite frankly, the strangest thing he had _ever_ experienced.

Arkai looked down at the sea below, though how he actually 'looked down' was debatable. When travelling through the sky as a ball of light, courtesy of the Triforce of Courage, how in the name of little mermen could you actually _see_ where you were going. _You didn't have eyes!_

Arkai began to muse, he didn't have a body right now either, not technically. He was a little glowing ball the size of his true body's fist, and he was streaking across the skies of Hyrule like some sort of strangely coloured shooting star. Green-gold, hardly an original colour given the Triforce was golden and Farore's representing colour was green. He frowned, well, inwardly frowned, as he continued across the sky. He had to admit it was a heck of a lot faster than flying with his woven wings, far less tiring too, but that didn't mean he liked it. Travelling this way made him feel... cut off from the world. He couldn't feel the wind rushing past him, the coldness of the air so high up, or the dampness of the handful of clouds he'd passed through. As far as he was concerned, the sooner he reached the Tower of the Gods and returned to 'normal' the better.

Ahead of him his destination was drawing close, the mighty spire of the tower reaching for the heavens in purest white. The Sage of Courage had told him to go straight to the upper doorway, at the top of the stairs on the outside of the tower, and go in. Queen Zerana and Chieftain Koanli were already there, as apparently were two of the Sages.

He glided down, landing on the stairway and returning to his true form with a sigh of relief. Wind ruffled his hair again, and he looked around at his surrounding without having to wonder just how it was he was able to see. He shivered a little, not from the cold but from the unsettling trip he'd just endured. Call him strange for disliking it so much, but he certainly wouldn't be using the method again unless he really had to.

Sighing again, this time in resignation at his own dislike of that kind of flying, he went up the last few steps to the doorway set into the top of the tower, entering the massive chamber beyond only to stop in awe. The cylindrical chamber was lit by the glow from the trench that surrounded the central platform, the blue walls pattered by glowing circles and lines, and in the middle of it all stood three pedestals which cradled the three Spiritual Stones that were keys to the Sacred Realm.

Four pairs of eyes turned to face him, Queen Zerana and Chieftain Koanli nodding in recognition while behind them the Sages of Earth and Wind smiled in greeting.

Zerana indicated he should come over.

"I understand the need to come here for this, but we must be quick. I'm needed in Hyrule City to keep the population calm, and cannot coordinate things while cut off like this."

Chieftain Koanli nodded in agreement, his red eyes solemn beneath the white hair typical of his tribe.

"I too face the same task. While I could work from Hyrule City, I too am cut off here. Let us complete this task, lest Malice take advantage of this moment of vulnerability for the kingdom."

Arkai reached them, expression determined as he drew the Master Sword and the Triforce symbol upon his hand began to glow.

"Then loan me the energy I need from the Triforce of Power. I can sense Malice thanks to the Triforce of Courage, but only at a range of about two to three sea leagues. Help me boost my range."

The Rito man closed his eyes, pressing his right hand to his chest. Like Arkai's hand, a symbol began to glow there, and the Hero felt a rush of energy.

He staggered, Zerana rushing to steady him.

"Are you alright?"

Arkai blinked, his eyes unable to focus.

"Yeah, but I can _sense_ so much that I'm not sure where I'm 'looking'."

"And that is why _we_ are here."

Makar and Medli came over, each of them holding a hand out towards the Master Sword.

Medli spoke aloud, but not to the three Keepers.

"We're ready. Lead the way, Link."

Both Sages began to glow with silver light, the absent yet still observing Sage of Courage sending his power to them. It flowed from them into the Master Sword, making it shine so brightly that it was impossible to look at.

Arkai stiffened, turning to face south.

"Malice's lair is that way, and it's _far_ away... beyond the border of Hyrule."

Zerana regarded him, the nearby Koanli silent as he continued to loan power to the Hero.

"Do you see where?"

Arkai snorted.

"I don't 'see' anything, I only _sense_ it... My range is so big right now that it's impossible for me to know the distance other than it's far. That why we need you, remember."

The queen flushed, realising she'd forgotten why she was here.

"Of course, let me help you."

She closed her eyes, the symbol on her hand glowing as it did on her fellow Keepers. She followed the flow of Arkai's power, passing over seas and small islands until reached the point where he'd stopped. When she found it she cast her power around herself and summoned a vision of the place, Arkai and Koanli opening their eyes to look at it.

The vision placed them high up in the sky, looking down at wide-open sea far below. There were a scattering of islands, but they were far more widely separated than those that formed Hyrule. Only a handful were close to each other, forming an island chain that trailed southwards in a slight curve.

Arkai frowned, eyeing an island near the south end of that chain, which in this vision was shrouded with a dark haze of shadow.

"This doesn't really help. I've never seen this place on any maps."

Zerana paced a little, unsettled.

"It's the Southern Expanse, an area of the seas that's almost never travelled. What few people live on the island chain, are reclusive and extremely suspicious of outsiders. Only one person from Hyrule has been to those islands and returned to tell us what they found there, and that was Tekai, the Sage of Courage's son."

Link's voice resounded around them, the Sage confirming the queen's words.

"The people there call themselves the Seneros, or at least they did five hundred years ago when my son went there. The chain of islands is volcanic, with the southernmost one still being an active volcano. It's a harsh place to live, and the people are equally harsh. It took Tekai _months_ to get them to trust him, and in the meantime he had to constantly watch his back. The islands themselves are riddled with caves, which would explain why it's where Malice had made its lair. It's an idea place to hide, in an area where few dare to go."

Koanli hummed to himself, looking at the shadow-shrouded island.

"Arkai, were you able to sense Malice when you looked for its lair?"

The Hero remained silent, before slowly nodding his head.

"...Yes, and its heading south to that island... I think it _wants_ me to follow it... and I'll have to..."

* * *

**Alaia Skyhawk: And so FINALLY I give you guys more info about Malice, who up until now was a hidden shadow that can turn people into psychos. Onwards to the next one!**


	47. To the Isles of Isolation

**Alaia Skyhawk: Well, it has been a LONG time since I've updated this, and I've decided to at least finish this Zelda fic off thanks to some spurring onwards from playing Ocarina of Time 3D which I got last week. I also promise I will continue "The Life Beyond the Journal", but only once one of my Merlin stories, "Whom History Won't Remember", is finished.**

**Apologies to new readers if page breaks have vanished from earlier chapters, but over the years FFnet's updates have caused some of them to disappear. I'll get around to checking and fixing the chapters at some point.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 47: To the Isles of Isolation

He'd returned to Hyrule City with barely any further word to Queen Zerana or the Rito Chieftain. Talk was pointless now, he had somewhere to go and he needed to leave as soon as possible. He needed no boat, only his weapons and supplies. He would trust to Pedagus to carry him, and rest on what islands could be found during the trip. If no island were available at the end of a day, he would light-weave a platform and sleep on that. It would be tough, but it would also be far faster than going by ship.

It would also mean he wouldn't have to put the crew of any such vessel in danger, seeing as he didn't feel himself competent enough to sail a ship alone.

Stood in his chamber at the castle, everything now packed, he slung his bag onto his back and began to walk from the castle. He'd sensed the Queen arrive back just after him, but had not gone to see her. All he wanted now was quiet, no fuss. He needed to remain focused, without distraction, and being around the people and their desperate hope for him to succeed would not help with that.

There was one person he did want to talk to though, before he left... His father.

He found the man on the castle wall, where they'd stood a few days before. Like then, Arkai wove wings of light ready to fly off, but this time paused before doing so, his voice quiet.

"Father."

The older man turned, facing his son, and his expression turned grim when he saw him standing there clearly about to go somewhere.

"Arkai... It's time for you to go, isn't it. You know where the evil is."

The hero sighed, nodding.

"I have a long way to go, to catch up to Malice at its lair and... I may not come back. I don't want to leave here without saying goodbye, just in case something happens to me. I wouldn't be at peace with myself otherwise."

His father also sighed, nodding in understanding.

"I know I've not been the best father, and I've been hard on you, but I will say this. Even if you fail, I won't be angry because I know you'll have done your best. Go with our family's prayers, Arkai. Know that I'm going to go back to Nae Lanai, and tell everyone to pray for your safe return."

Awkward silence fell between them, before Arkai smiled and took the handful of strides between them. He then did something he'd not done since he was a small child, hugged his father in farewell the way he'd once done when he'd gone out on a ship.

"I promise, I'll do my best to come back safely. Tell everyone I look forward to seeing them all again."

He stepped away and jumped off the wall, gliding on his wings of light and ascending up into the sky. Once there, Pedagus came at his request, and the two of them disappeared southwards as a streak of light. Only from one place were they watched, could they be watched, and that was from the Temple of Courage. A Sage, and spirit, and a fairy observed his farewell, and would remain in solemn vigil until this all was over.

~(-)~

Days blurred into each other, changing to one week and then two. During that time, Arkai long since ceased to feel sore from being astride Pedagus all day and most of the nights, and long since ceased to be bothered by sleeping on platforms of light suspended hundreds of feet up above the ocean. His only concern was his supply of food, and more meagre supply of water. What few islands they'd passed had allowed him to refill his canteens, but they didn't come often enough to allow him to totally sate his thirst.

He'd set out from Hyrule City dreading his arrival at the Senerosian Islands, but now he yearned for it. No matter how harsh they were, it couldn't be any worse than this.

Seated upon Pedagus' back, Arkai half dozed in the security of having used light to tie himself in place. The Guardian did not mind being mostly ignored, it understood his weariness. Tasked with carrying him, it would do so willingly, but once they arrived the hero would be on his own. Only when the time came, in the final battle, would the Sages be permitted to act and aid him. Until then, he would have to fight alone.

One final day passed in this fashion, Arkai once again half-asleep, when the Guardian suddenly began to descend towards a chain of islands in the distance. Jolted by the change of movement, the hero stared at them recognising them as the ones shown to him.

He was almost to the lair of Malice.

Pedagus landed on the shore of the nearest island, bowing its head to regard him one last time.

"Be wary of trusting the Seneros, for there is no telling if or not Malice has corrupted them. Speak to them if you must, but no more than is necessary. Remember, any risk you take is also a risk for all that you hold dear." The Guardian took flight, words reaching him as it disappeared through the portal back to its realm. "The hopes of your homeland go with you."

And with that he was alone on this foreign shore, with little food and almost no remaining water. Those would be his first priorities, and for that he needed to get a better look at the island he was presently on. So with that he wove wings and went aloft, in search of food and water.

~(-)~

The beast had returned, such were the fearful whispers in the village. For months they had been free of its torment, able to return to the shores of the islands instead of cowering in the hills, but now that was no more. They had not needed to see it, the wave of black mist cresting the beaches like an unrelenting tide had been enough, and with it had come the terrible price of their complacence.

Twelve of their people, now bound in the confinement caves, screaming in madness and hatred. They would be held for a week, as a period of mourning, but upon the seventh dawn they would be cast, still bound, into the sea. Life was harsh enough here, without feeding those who would not contribute to the effort of growing that food... A quick death by drowning was better than the shame of cutting them down with blades, or the torture of letting them starve.

Slender hands brushed away tears grief and helplessness from violet eyes, before they gripped the two long braids of ebon hair that hung either side of the young woman's face. She wrapped them around the rest of her hair, taming the loose tresses and tying the end of the resulting bound length with a leather tie. She let it hang down the middle of her back, clear from her eyes, and picked up her bow from the ground beside her. She had heard movement down by the stream close by, something large. Perhaps it was one of the wild boar of the mountain peak, straying to lower ground. If it were, then it would be a fine prize to return to her village with... A prize enough to ease some of the shame now on her family, cast by having a brother weak enough of will to be corrupted by the beast. A brother she mourned for even though he was not yet dead.

She gritted her teeth and began to creep through the dense jungle undergrowth, making barely a whisper of sound in her passage, while ahead of her the sounds became those of splashing. If it was a boar, it was a stupid one, to make so much noise. Even had she not heard it, one of the wild cats would have, and its life would end either way. At least by her bow, the death would be cleaner and quicker.

She stopped at the last edge of cover, plucking an arrow from the quiver on her back and setting it to the string of her bow. One last deep breath and she drew it, checking with ears once last time for the rough direction of her target. And then she leapt from behind the dense bush, taking aim at the pale form beside the stream and letting go of the arrow before her suddenly horrified mind could stop it.

Her shriek of surprise caused the figure on the stream-bank to lift their head, revealing wet blond hair that no Seneros would have. He seemed to hear the whistle of the arrow, jerking to the side to dodge it, but not far enough to stop it thudding into his left shoulder.

With a cry of pain he staggered forward from the impact, slipping on wet rocks and tumbling into the stream before going limp. He then lay there, half submerged in waters tinged red by his wound, and she could only stand there... staring.

~(-)~

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yeah, I'm a bit mean with this one. I don't update for over a year, and then you get a cliffhanger XD**

**I'll update again in a few days :)**


	48. Seneros of the Shadowed Isles

**Alaia Skyhawk: Here's the next chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.**

Chapter 48: Seneros of the Shadowed Isles

She could not tear her eyes from the downed young man, a mixture of shame for shooting a fellow person mixed with a sense of suspicion of him.

The young woman stood there, hesitant and undecided. Why had this stranger come? From where? What was he doing trespassing on the islands of the Seneros? She crept closer, violet eyes now noting that the man, who she had disturbed while he was apparently washing his hair, was covered with bruises and scars, and other wounds that looked fairly new. Spotting the pile of weapons and shield by the bag nearby, it was clear he was a warrior, and that made her suspect him more.

Had he come to hurt her people? If so, then she had to kill him now before he woke. There would be no telling if she could defeat him, even injured by her arrow, while he was awake.

She grabbed him by one ankle, dragging him out of the stream by it so his death would not further taint the water, drawing her dagger in readiness. One quick thrust to the heart and it would be over, but she hesitated now that she could better see his face.

There was a mark on his brow beneath his dark blond hair, a bruise forming from where he'd hit his head when he'd slipped, but beneath it was a face that looked troubled even in unconsciousness. He looked like a man with a burden, something he needed to do. She jolted herself from those thoughts, distracting herself by pulling her arrow from his shoulder. She then rolled him over, determined to look this stranger in the face and force herself to not let appearances make her hesitate. This was for her people's safety.

Thoughts of killing him died the moment he was on his back, her dagger falling from limp fingers that then reached forward to trace a wound that held a kind of terrible familiarity. It was just a shallow scrape on his chest, scabbed over and healing, but the flesh around it was tinged with a shadowed taint she was all too familiar with. This man had been wounded while in the presence of the beast, and yet from what she'd seen he hadn't acted like he was corrupted by it... And here he was at the islands barely two days after the beast's return.

She bit her lip, hesitating, before making her decision. She rolled him back over, retrieving his discarded shirt from nearby and tearing a strip from the bottom of it to bind his shoulder wound. She then dragged him to a tree and propped him against it, then running off to retrieve her rope and the rest of her gear from where she'd left it. She tied him to the tree, as securely as she could, and then she waited. She would let him speak, tell her of his reason for being here, and then she would decide if or not to spare him.

It was nearly an hour before his groan forewarned of his return to consciousness, a frown creasing his brow as he winced in pain and opened his eyes. He regarded her after a momentary glance at the ropes, calm and composed despite his situation, and then, before she could speak, he spoke first.

"My name is Arkai, and I assume you want to know what I'm doing here."

Violet eyes widened in surprise, the young woman startled. He didn't seem to find her suspicion unexpected, like he'd known he would be viewed as a potential threat. He accepted it, and yet clearly he would hope to ease that suspicion if he could. His hazel eyes were solemn in that regard, unwavering.

She frowned, wary. No, she would not let him deceive her with apparent good will. His life still hinged on his answers to her questions. So she picked up her dagger from where she'd dropped it, and held it to his throat.

"Why are you here? And don't dare lie to me." She pressed the cold metal closer to his skin. "Or you will regret it."

His only response to her threat was a small resigned sigh, before he set those unwavering eyes on hers and answered.

"I've come following a creature, with three heads that breathe dark mist. It's been attacking my homeland, causing some of the people who are touched by the mist to _change_. They become violent, filled with malice, and that is what we've named the creature. Malice." He looked to his weapons, to a blue-hilted sword among them. "I am my people's champion, the chosen Hero, and I bear with me the Blade of Evil's bane. I have no quarrel with your people, I am here only to do what I have been sent to do... _Kill_ that monster before it can hurt anyone else."

There was no lie in his gaze, no hesitation, he spoke the truth. She rose to her feet and took a step back from him, filled with shock even as she was filled with hope.

"You've come here to kill the beast?"

That got his attention.

"You know of it?"

She started to scowl, pain from earlier rising again.

"How could I _not?_ The beast has plagued my people for nearly a century, my own brother is now bound in the confinement caves, corrupted by the mist when it returned two days ago! In five more, he and eleven others like him will be drowned."

She practically spat out those words, Arkai stunned by what she'd said.

"You _drown_ those that have been changed?" He stared at her, aghast. "There are _hundreds_ of them in my homeland, but we have chosen to keep them imprisoned until Malice can be slain. We _know_ the people they once were are still inside them, waiting to be set free. My best friend..."

Her startlement at his outburst was tempered by the look of anguish now on his face. The dagger she had started to raise, lowered back to her side.

"Your best friend has been corrupted by the beast's mist?"

Arkai nodded.

"Yes, and I've spoken to him since. For a few moments during that, I managed to get the old Jaran to come to the surface. He told me he believed I could do this, that I was too stubborn to fail. I promised myself then that I would never give up. I will destroy Malice, and free those that its power has enslaved, or I will _die _trying." He looked down at the ropes. "Now please, let me free. I swear I mean no harm to your people... and if I can, I will try to slay the beast before it's too late for your brother."

She took a step towards him, hope dawning.

"You would do that for us?"

"I do it for my own people, so why not for yours? It's a Hero's duty to help _all_ those in need of his strength, not just those closest to him."

After one last pause, she strode towards him and around the tree, undoing the ropes and releasing him. He winced when moved his left shoulder, but felt it numb when the Triforce symbol on his hand glowed. The power of the piece he carried would heal his wound, he trusted to that, but it would still be a day or so before he could use his sword again.

Noting the strange symbol, the woman stared.

"And what magic is that?"

He began to pick up his things, pulling on his shirt and tunic, and fastening his belt and weapons on over it.

"I told you, I am my people's champion. I have faced the trials of the Nine Sages that watch over the lands, passed them, and in doing so earned the right to use and be entrusted with two very important things... The Master Sword, and Triforce of Courage. The symbol on my hand is the latter of those, it's starting to heal my shoulder, that's all. Its power will protect me from Malice's taint when I fight him. Otherwise, the strength of his evil might crush me before I even get a chance to hit him." The last of his gear now on his person, he began to weave wings of light to fly off. "I'm sorry again for trespassing. I'll leave you now."

"No!" He stopped at her shout, and she shook her head. "If your intention is to fight the beast, then you are welcome at my hearth. I am shamed enough already by my brother's fall. The shame of welcoming a stranger into my home is no worse than that, not when it gives me hope. If you can save my brother, then shame is a price I am willing to pay to get him back."

Arkai started to smile a little.

"Then can I ask you your name? You haven't told me it yet."

She stared at him, starting to blush in embarrassment.

"I... Sorry. My name is Kuria." She picked her rope up from by the tree, and then set off into the undergrowth. "Follow me, and stay close... Unless you want to get shot again."

He did as he was bidden, following the ebon-haired woman through the jungle undergrowth. It took three hours to get to a point where her village became visible, perched on the edge of a swathe of ancient hardened lava that cut its way from peak to shore, probably from the last eruption before the volcano of this island became dormant and the next one in the chain took its place. Or maybe it was just the jagged tumble of rocks, that clearly still slid and fell from time-to-time, that prevented the forest from encroaching on it, but either way it emphasised how hard a place this would be to live in.

He remembered the jagged rocks in the Realm of Fire all too well.

When the two of them emerged onto the main track into the village, once again he found himself with weapons aimed at him. But Kuria simply gestured for him to keep following her, and cold eyes watched them as they passed. Everyone he saw had black hair, and either amber, purple, or eerily pale blue eyes. The Seneros were clearly Hylians, but ones so isolated from the rest of the world they had taken on a distinctive appearance of their own. He stood out like a daisy against a tarred fence.

They reached a small hut near the village edge, Kuria sending him inside before glaring at the villagers who watched from nearby in disapproval.

"If anyone harms him while I speak to the Elder, then I will consider it a violation of rights of courtesy. He is my _guest_, and those who disturb him will be shamed."

She strode away as he stood at the door, Arkai watching her until the feeling of eyes staring at him had him retreat inside the hut... That and the way a few of his observers were picking at the edges of knifes or the strings of bows. There was little in here, just two beds of fern, one at either end, a few boxes for possessions, and a fire-pit in the middle under a hole in the thatch. The only colour came from a woven hanging on the wall opposite the door, the abstract patterns giving warmth to the room. He understood now why Kuria was so set on the hope he gave her of saving her brother, because now he could see she had nothing else. This hut said it all, that her brother was the only family she had left.

He sat down to wait, those thoughts still in his mind. It was strange, he'd accepted her help immediately, but now he had to remind himself that this time his chance encounter with a local was _real_. In the Realms of the Temple of Courage, all of them had in fact been Link. He'd trusted those guides implicitly, but with Kuria he must remember to hold a certain caution. She had clear ulterior motives, and even if they revolved around her brother, that didn't mean she wouldn't get him killed to save him. And he doubted anyone else here would care if that happened.

~(-)~

The walk through the village had been hard, icy stares following her every step until this moment.

"How could you bring that outsider here?"

Kuria flinched under the glare of the elder's son, stood as she was outside of the village leader's hut. She had expected word to spread fast, but had hoped this man were still out with the rest of the hunters. She had gone into the forest alone, knowing that no group would accept her until her brother was gone to the waves, but it seemed even her early return had not got her back here in time.

She took a deep breath, holding her head high in dignity.

"My explanation is for the Elder to hear. Only from my voice will the true truth of my words reach his ears."

It was a challenge, challenging the man to break village tradition and deny her entrance to the hut. It worked, and he stepped aside, but it did not ease the scowl he directed at her.

"You may enter, and pray your words are sufficient reason for your actions."

She walked past him and through the door, forcing herself to remain calm. She was digging herself into an unenviable position, but it was for her brother. For him, anything was worth it.

Inside the hut she dropped to her knees, placing her forehead on the floor and waiting for the old man seated within to speak. She felt those eyes watching her carefully, before the wizened voice reached her ears.

"Speak, and speak clearly. Why have you brought that stranger into our village?"

Kuria bit her lip in nervousness, and slowly raised her head to answer.

"I came across him by chance, wounded him with one of my arrows by accident. I was about to slay him as a trespasser, when I noticed he bore wound shadowed by the beast. Realising he had perhaps fought it, I bound him to a tree and waited for him to wake, so that I might as him of why he came here."

The old man frowned, barely visible in the gloom within the hut.

"And what did he tell you?"

She lowered her head a little.

"He comes here in pursuit of what his people have named 'Malice', it is the beast he has come to slay. It has been attacking his homeland, and he is his people's champion. He has followed it here with the intention of ending its evil forever, and freeing those in his lands that have been corrupted. His people have seen signs that those who have been changed, are still there trapped inside their minds. He would save them, or die trying."

"So you would risk the anger of the beast? All on a fool's hope placed in that man?"

She nodded.

"I would, because when my brother goes to the waves I will have nothing else left to lose. I will not sit idly by when a chance to end our suffering is close at hand."

Tense silence fell between them, Kuria aware of how disrespectful she'd just been. But she could not falter, not in this, and the answer she got was as good as she could have expected.

"You may give him supplies from your own hearth, and guide him to the beast's lair. If he succeeds, and frees the shadowed ones in the caves before the seventh dawn of mourning has come, they and your brother will be welcomed back into the village. Now leave me, _wraecca_."

Once again she found herself flinching, biting her lip at the name he'd now given her. The price was worth it, any price was worth it to save her brother.

She bowed her head to the floor again, before rising to her feet.

"I thank you, Elder. I will do my best not to fail in this."

She left the hut, aware of how the elder's son stared at her when she passed. He would have heard the entire conversation, and would no doubt inform the rest of the village. She hurried back to her house, finding the man whom she was placing so much sudden and perhaps misguided faith in, sitting beside the hearth.

He got to his feet.

"What did your elder say?"

Kuria took a shuddering breath.

"I am to guide you to the beast's lair, and if you can slay it before the time comes for my brother to be drowned and it breaks the curse, then he and the rest of those like him will be welcomed back into the village." She started packing food from her stores into a sack, turning her back on him to hide the tears trying to escape from her eyes. "We have a long way to go, so get ready to leave. If we follow the rocks, we can be at the shore by nightfall."

~(-)~

**Alaia Skyhawk: Yeah, the Seneros are as cold and suspicious as Tekai's stories say they were. The only reason Kuria is being so helpful is for her brother. Without that, she'd have skewered Arkai back by the stream hehe.**


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